The Other Side
by Missgen
Summary: What happens when Rin gets pulled into the world of Gehenna? What will happen to Rin? What will become of everyone else? A story starting from the beginning, then heads in a different direction to explore a new side of Ao no exorcist
1. Chapter 1

_This story will start off pretty much the same as the manga, but later I will try going in a different path probably somewhere around chapter 2 or so. All the characters are the same, some will be new (only for demon world), and they might turn out a 'little' different in personalities; when I write them they never turn out the same as the original... the only reason I'm writing out the beginning is because it would have bugged me if I didn't start at the start lol Anyways, hope someone likes this, I will try to make it better and improve... this is my first time writing fan fiction lol_**  
><strong>

**The Other Side**

Freezing; blue streaks of rain were coming down. Rin didn't have an umbrella. He wanted to go home, but somehow kept to walking around the same path: around the park, down an alleyway, then around the park again. He met a cat along the way. He seemed to be lost. Rin could relate. Rin wondered why he didn't just go home. It wasn't that he hated his home; he wasn't abused, he had a 'Father', a brother, and all the members of the church to keep him happy. Rin and his brother, Yukio, were adopted, and it didn't make him feel his 'Father' was any less than family. His brother was kind, top of his class, leaving soon to one of the best schools in the country (he wanted to become a doctor). So then… he wondered as he passed by the park for the fifth time, why he would keep staying out late, avoiding the moment when he would have to go back?

Rin thought as the rain continued down, looking at the birds huddled together under a slide. Rin hated to admit it, but he felt he didn't belong at his home. Or in his family. This was the only answer to his feelings. He was… different. His brother was good at everything, father was always praising him and teaching him. And father was… always disappointed in him. He wanted him to 'go out in the world', get a job, do better in school…make friends. Rin didn't know how to do that. He always failed in school, got into fights all the time, everyone at school hated him; a job seemed like something way beyond his reach, who would want him? Who would want him in the world anyway? Somehow, he felt he didn't 'fit'. Yukio fit. He would succeed. But him? It was all a gamble really. He wasn't as 'respectable'. He and his brother were fraternal twins, and yet they couldn't have been more opposite; Yukio an honour student, Rin just lucky he wasn't kicked out; Rin's black hair as slick as night, Yukio's a light brown that shone in the sun. One might even guess they weren't related at all. Rin remembered all the times people would actually gasp at the knowledge they were brothers; twin brothers at that, it seemed so unlikely.

He kicked a stone along the path for his sixth run, then decided it was probably time to go home. He was heading through the alley, said good-bye to the cat, and then headed around to the park before going up the street back home. That was when he spotted some classmates from his school, blocking the way ahead. Great, maybe he should go back around? Then, as though only just noticing, he looked at what they were doing, which made him stop dead and his blood ran cold.

'Horrible, disgusting… how can they…?' Rin whispered to himself through blinding anger. If only he hadn't gone around one last time…

As Rin stared at them all, laughing, something inside him cracked. An instinct took over; he didn't know what he was doing; all he knew was that he was running straight at them, yelling in anger, fists coming and going through his field of vision. He felt only rage, mingled with an uncontrollable sadness that tore at his insides. He punched one across the face so hard he tumbled and skid far down the street. The others stopped and looked at each other, recognition boiling in their eyes. They had finally realized who was attacking them. They knew Rin. Well, everyone knew Rin.

'You! you're that crazy… demon' one said as he wiped his face off with his sleeve and spit on the ground. Rather reluctantly, he got up and, looking Rin in the eye one last time, he waved for his friends to follow, clearly admitting defeat; they ran back down the street and out of sight.

Rin was breathing fast. Oh god, why did he always do this? But... he looked down at the birds that had been under the slide, bloody; dead. They hadn't done anything, and yet they were killed. For what? For a few moments of fun? Was it fun to play with life? If he was a 'demon' of fighting, it was nothing compared to them who killed for amusement.

He bent down to pick up one of the birds, perhaps give it a funeral, when, miraculously, it flew up, right in front of his eyes, through the rain and into the night. One had survived. The rain still pelting down, and as Rin was still savoring the sight of the bird flying freely through the air, he scooped down to pick up the others and went to find a final resting spot.

* * *

><p>'Your late, Rin. Where were you?' Father Fujimoto asked as he held open the door. Everyone was eating dinner already.<p>

'Sorry, I was-' Rin started

'Did you go and look at that job I spotted for you? You did, right? That's why your late isn't it?' His father burst out excitedly, grasping Rin by the shoulders and shaking him enthusiastically. Then, his eyes drooped down, and upon looking at Rin's guilty slightly cut face and seeing him quickly hide his bloody fists behind his back, he sighed, smile fading fast, he looked wearily over his shoulder and said 'Yukio, can you get the first-aid supplies again? Rin's gotten into another fight…'

'Hey! How d'you know I got 'into' a fight? It could have been the fight came to me, you know?' Rin yelled in frustration. He always felt he was being accused of something.

'Either way, a fights a fight Rin. Don't you think there are better ways? How about trying to use your head once in a while…' He turned away from Rin and headed back towards the kitchen table. 'Do go sometime and look at the job. How about tomorrow? Its Saturday so your free?'

Rin sat at the table in a heap. He didn't feel very hungry, not after the birds, not after this. Yukio came and started to get some bandages out, but Rin just waved them away.

'I don't need them anymore. Its fine, see?' He showed his hand up; a few moments ago it had blood and scrapes; now it was completely clean, unscratched. There was a swirl of silence around the table that Rin didn't quite catch, and he continued to look gloomily down at his plate, hoping somehow he could just escape up to his room. Realizing things weren't this easy, he sighed.

'I'll go tomorrow then?' He said without looking at his Father.

* * *

><p>'Rin! Don't struggle; Here, I've got it for you!' Father Fujimoto yelled as he tried placing a tie on the ever moving Rin.<p>

'I- don't- need one! I'm fine without it! No, no-' He struggled and finally wiggled out of his Father's grasp, throwing the tie off him and onto the bed.

'Rin! A tie is important for an interview, how do you expect to get the job if you don't come across as decent?'

'It's…' He looked regrettably at the tie. He only didn't like it because he couldn't imagine himself as someone to wear it. People might think he's pretending. He might just come across as foolish.

The Father picked up the tie and put it back on Rin. This time he didn't struggle, but held a defiant look that almost made the tie something of torture. The Father only laughed though at Rin's expression.

'Your growing up now… 15, already going for your first job interview… time sure passes. You used to be so small. Well actually, you still are small right?'

A small groan could be heard from Rin.

'See? It's not so bad. Looks good no?' He straightened Rin's suit one last time, then patted his hair. 'Now hurry Rin, you might be late if you don't move now.'

' I know…' Rin smiled weakly for thanks. His Father smiled back. 'Guess I'll… see you later then.'

Rin walked out of the room, and as he did, a small blue flame shot off into the air and out of sight, though not small enough that the Father didn't see. He watched Rin through the curtains head off down the street.

'This can't be good…' And with a small whoosh of his cloak, the Father turned on his heel and left.

* * *

><p>Rin didn't know where he was going. One turn after the next, he was lost in a maze of people and buildings. He felt out of place, in his tie and suit, looking for a building that didn't seem to exist. An interview in another world. People pushed past from all directions, carriages going this way, cars the other; it was busy this Saturday afternoon. Rin didn't much like these sorts of crowds; he always felt suffocated. He squeezed though the crowd into a small ally, watched a cat that looked strikingly similar to the one yesterday brush past, and then headed down, deciding he would try one of his 'short cuts'. Rin knew though that these short cuts of his were never short. In fact, Rin himself didn't even know if they were even a cut, as he always made them up on the spot. In all the times he had tried to use them to get to school faster, he may as well have taken a ride out of the country and back by the time he arrived. But, as Rin clambered over a wire fence and traveled through the back of the buildings, he thought the adventure and freedom was well worth it.<p>

Only, until he spotted a rather unpleasant sight… again. The class mates from yesterday, the bird killers, were oddly here, this time they seemed to be waiting for him. What did they want now…?

'Rin Okumura, correct?' One with a bandaged face spoke out. It was obvious that that was Rin's doing. 'Had to find out your name… most just know you by… ha-ha.'

'Right.' Said Rin dully, trying to look unconcerned. 'What do you want?'

'For you to keep your mouth shut. Don't mention those birds, alright? I have a reputation to keep and if that sort of thing gets out it won't too look good. I plan on attending Cross Academy, I can't let these little things get in the way. So how much do you want?'

'Sorry?'

'Money. How much _money_ do you want?'

Rin looked at him. He had walked considerably closer to him during the time talking, and his friends had gathered around. He seemed to have brought more than yesterday. Rin just wanted to walk by them and continue on his way, but they didn't look like they would make that easy. Besides this… Rin couldn't help but notice something strange about the bandaged man right across from him. His eyes… something was off.

'Sorry, I don't need any money. I don't care, I won't say anything ok? Good-bye.' Rin tried to walk through and around, but the moment he started walking he was stopped and pushed back. Urg.

'Don't make this hard, Okumura. Take the money. You need it anyway for school right? Well…' He contemplated, looking Rin up and down, 'perhaps not _you_; you couldn't get in the Academy even if you _had_ money; but your brother right? Yukio Okumura… I heard he had to work his ass off and only got in on a scholarship… its too bad your brother was born in dirt, he could have been at least something respectable.'

The next thing Rin knew was that his fist felt cheek and the kid was laying on the ground, spitting blood.

'You can insult me and bad mouth me all you want, but don't you dare talk about Yukio!'

Rin was barely finished and his heart pounding, feeling a bit overwhelmed, when suddenly out of nowhere, whilst wiping and rubbing his even more swollen face, the kid started changing rapidly. It was frightening, and Rin's anger completely vanished into the form of fear, confusion. What was going on? His eyes started turning yellow, a demonic glare with red flames hidden beneath; horns erupted from his head, sprouting upwards and bending down… blackness surrounding his entire body, creating a mist of evil intent. Rin backed away, wondering why no one else seemed to care; no one flinched at all. What were they? Who was this guy? He smiled at Rin, seeing his fear and recognition of what was happening. Rin had backed further away, fully intending to run any second. He didn't know what he was, but all he knew was that he could not stay any longer to chat. Though when Rin's foot merely shifted a little, the demon shouted,

'Someone hold him, don't let him get away!' to his friends who immediately sprang into action.

Rin tried to run, but he was already having to put up a struggle. A hand came from behind and tried to pull Rin's arms back, but Rin was strong, it took almost no effort to push the guy out of the way. Then, in an second, another had come over and smashed Rin's head with something made of wood, causing him to shout and collapse to the ground, rolling over in dizziness. From there, it really didn't seem like Rin would get away. Two were holding him down, another on top his legs, and the transformed demon was looking down at him with something of interest. Rin panicked. Especially when he saw the demon pull a knife.

'What are you doing? Are you crazy?' Rin yelled from the ground as he approached with the knife.

The demon didn't answer, but his friends did.

'Yo, Alex, don't you think this is going to far? Why don't we just let him go?'

The demon still didn't respond, but the look he gave his friend was enough to shut anyone up.

'Wait! Wait! Ah-!' Rin struggled as the demon grabbed his hair and placed the knife to his throat. He could feel its coolness, felt its blade only moments away from slicing.

Rin's heart beat frantically; death. He had never been in such a situation before. He had fought, many times, and many times he was left bloody, beaten, swollen or with cracked bones. But this… this would be different. A blade was different. He couldn't fight this one off. No healing. Rin closed his eyes and prayed for a miracle. Prayed this guy would just let him go. He felt his body turn warm, and light surrounded his eyelids, burning through, it seemed, his whole body. Maybe he had died? Maybe he was going now, the demon had sliced, and he was heading off to the other side. But the light continued to blare…then he realized… it was blue? His body was definitely hot, and not only that, considerably lighter. He heard screams issue around him, his hair was let go of and the blade no longer on his neck. They were running away, he was somehow still here. Rin opened his eyes, only to be shocked as well. He was on fire! And blue fire! It seemed to be coming from him too. It was on his hands, he could feel it flicker from his hair and on his cheek; his whole body enveloped in it. Did the demon set him on fire? But… somehow Rin wasn't hurt. He couldn't feel a thing except a tingling warmth, no matter how long the seconds ensued.

'Those blue flames….' Came A voice from beside him. Rin's spirit fell. The demon hadn't left with the others.

'I knew I was right…' His voice sounded… different than before. Like a low screech rather than words. He knelt down beside Rin, suddenly changing the atmosphere. 'Do you know… how long I've searched for you? How long I've waited for this moment? The rumours that you were here… they were true after all…' He grabbed Rin's hand, gently, almost eagerly, before whispering to him in excitement, his yellow eyes burning deep into Rin's, '_He _will be so pleased, young master, to see you at last; so long has he waited for this…' He paused, looked around as though expecting to ambushed, then turned back to Rin, pulling him up to his feet. 'Now, let us go, Satan-sama awaits our arrival!'

Rin didn't know what to do, nor did he know where he was going. He found himself being dragged, rather forcibly, down the allies and back ways by the demon. Rin thanked when they burst into the busy shopping centre once more, certain that someone would notice this horrifying demon and help him. Nothing. He was pulled along through the crowds as though they were simply friends out for a weekend walk. Rin couldn't understand. Couldn't they see? His horns, his tail, the blackness that engulfed him… his teeth, which Rin had only noticed when they had been face to face just moments before. He tried to pull away and escape, and Rin being pretty strong himself, was shocked when he found he was unable to. He didn't know who this demon was, but he had never encountered someone who was strong enough to keep hold of him. The demon pulled Rin down another alley, then ran up a street which appeared deserted.

With them slowing down, Rin, speaking for the first time since being taken away, panted from exhaustion, 'Where… the hell… are you taking me?'

But the demon didn't seem to be listening. He was chanting something, speaking a twisted tongue with his eyes closed; Rin couldn't help but feel alarmed. Could he be calling something… someone?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Mephisto Pheles walked slowly around his office, feet clicking against the hard wooden floor, lightly tapping his cane against all things: books, shelves, paintings, his stuffed toys and precious dolls that he so adored. He was humming a slow, sad tune, a song he didn't quite know, seeming to fill his entire soul, helping clear his unwanted thoughts. But what were his thoughts? Mephisto didn't know. He looked towards the window; it was getting dark; the sun was gone now, the sky purple and showing its first stars of night. His stared at his top hat which sat still on the table, his cape resting sleepily behind his chair. He could get similar things in the other world, but it wasn't the same. Earth, as it seemed, was… much more exciting. He eyes roamed his over-crowded office. Dolls, toys, light up lights, stuffed bears, stuffed pillows, colours of bright blinded anyone who looked on it, a mesmerizing scene of vibrant movement; and yet now they all sat still, peering out from the darkness like little puppet eyes, their colours somehow faded in the night, their movements stopped. Mephisto smiled. Earth was… exciting in the sense that he could find things such as these, discover things… and humans, humans were so creative! Who would have thought of making this… this! He picked up a bobble-head rabbit that sat on his desk; it bounced around when he shook, its head dangerously close to falling right off. He shook it harder. Mephisto could help but shout out in laughter at the thing; hysterical! Oh such were all his toys! Such fun... fun!<p>

He threw his arm back and smashed it right through the window. So fast that the glass didn't quite have time to fall before the toy was on its way down a hundred miles out. Birds flew up outside in shock at the disturbance. Mephisto breathed heavily, leaning on his desk for support. He need calm… calm! But his mind was far from calm, buzzing, a ringing that wouldn't stop growing louder. If anyone were in the room at that moment, they wouldn't have been prepared for the storm of rage that Mephisto threw next; He screamed, tossed books down from their shelves, ripped toys open, slammed over his entire desk in bitterness; so strong was Mephisto that the desk didn't just overturn, but smashed and broke to pieces against the opposite wall. One of his squeaky rubber ducks lay on the floor in front of him unscathed… a quiet rage. Mephisto, in a movement too fast to be seen, raised and stabbed straight down with a sword he hid in his cane. A sharp cry sounded the room, its pain reverberating through Mephisto's ears. Slowly the rubber duck deflated, its final voice gone, leaving only an empty shell of its former body; no more would it cry, no more would it float happily in the bath. He dug his cane into the wall and began carving a line around his office as he continued his march of destruction. Ripping paintings off, slashing the door, nothing was left unharmed. What did Mephisto think? He didn't know. No light could be seen now, darkness spread like felt fabric across his window. His black hair, falling lightly down to his shoulders, blended him into the still silent room which now was finally complete; without light; without order. Nothing moved. Mephisto continued to stare out his window, his cane sticking out of the wall, he hummed his sad tune, knowing what was to come, knowing how it had to be. This night, how he wished it had never happened.

* * *

><p>The street was quiet. Something silver pasted; a pin shot down by Rin's foot, casting him into a smothering fog; denying him all air, denying him sight. What was happening? The demon let go of his arm, screaming in agony behind the clouded curtain somewhere nearby. Rin didn't move. He didn't know where the demon was, nor did he know where he himself was. And besides, he didn't want to run into the thing that could make such terrible sounds, a screech of high that echoed down the empty street. But he was saying things as well. Rin couldn't understand, it was a just jumble of screams… until he distinctly heard, louder and clearer than any other, and at the same time more frightening as the demon ripped his throat: 'EXORCIST!'<p>

Yet through all the screaming and fog, Rin could hear another, softer voice. It sang through the chaos, a slow melody drifting through the wind, its sweet tone carrying over the scene. And no matter how much the demon screamed, the song became louder and clearer still, filling Rin with hope as he recognized its owner.

Father Fujimoto appeared through the clearing mist, his slow rhythmical words still pouring fourth. The demon lunged, but the father was too quick for him, throwing him on his back with apparent ease. The father had finished his song, the finality of his words seemed to cause panic as the demons eyes lit up; he struggled to get away from the father's grasp, run far from the scene, but too soon was he engulfed in a blackness, an energy spewing from every pore of his body; a release of death. He let out one final high bloody scream before falling over and collapsing onto the pavement. There now laid the body of the boy, the bandaged wrap still on his face; no more did he bear the features of a horrible monster, no more did he scream.

'He's fine now… though I suppose if he doesn't change his actions he may be possessed again.' The father bent down to examine him, not looking at Rin.

Rin was confused. What the hell was going on? First the demon, which was hard to believe in itself, then flames, and now his father is an exorcist? Since when can people can be 'possessed'? Rin was never a believer of these sorts of things… but now…

'I'm sure you have no idea what's going on, do you?' He asked Rin's question for him. 'You can see now, can't you?… demons, that is. The world is… like a mirror. We live here in the world of Assiah… but there is another side… a much darker place; the world of Gehenna which we cannot see, another dimension so to speak. Normally neither side can interact… however, demons have learned the art of possession, and can enter this world by possessing things that exist within. A flower, a person… all things can come under threat. But that's enough explanation for now Rin. We have no time to lose…' And the father took Rin's hand and started to run.

'Where are we going? What… what the hell?' Rin yelled as he was pulled once again down the streets.

'They know now, they know you've awoken- we need to hide you before they can find out where you are!'

'What d'you mean? What is all this? What… what am I?' The question slipped out of his mouth; ever since the flames on his body, ever since the demon and his talk… he had to know. It felt strangely as if he had never really known himself at all, and his whole life had just been a dream; a lie. This… this was the moment to finally understand.

'You…' The father slowed down, coming to a halt. They were in the busy shopping street, stopping in time as all other things moved. Darkness was settling in, the winds turning, clouds slowly covering as night started to befall.

'…are the son of a demon. Born from a human who was impregnated by that demon… but not just any demon; Rin, you are the son…'

The last words came as a whisper, but Rin felt them chill down his spine. His whole body felt cold and weak. He was aware of everything, and at the same time oblivious, his eyes staring blankly at the back of his father. No, not anymore? Rin had always known he was adopted, but even through that, he had considered him his father. But now…now what should he think? Could this even be possible? What… what was going on?

The father started to pick up pace again, Rin following silently behind. He didn't understand how he was supposed to believe all this. But concerning the evening events, Rin had no choice but. They raced on, darkness sweeping over fast, Rin not thinking of anything. He felt nothing, heard nothing, not even when his father told him they were near the house. Only one thing played in his mind… over and over again, the words of his father still sounding as haunting as when he first whispered: '…of Satan'.

* * *

><p>'You must leave this house straight away.' The father began shoving Rin's clothes into a backpack, not noticing his bemused expression as he watched. It was filled and thrown into his arms in less than 10 seconds.<p>

'You must go into hiding- here, this is a cell phone of mine.' He placed it in Rin's hand. 'There is only one number, a friend of mine who can take care of you. And this…' He took out a key, and in one swift movement headed over to the dresser and pulled out a sword. 'This is the key of Vanishment, it can open anything so long as you wish it. This' He held up the sword, 'is Kurikara… a demon-slaying sword. Your powers are locked within… never open it, unless you no longer wish to remain human.' He shoved this too into Rin's arms, finishing with a long hard stare, making sure he understood.

But Rin didn't understand. Everything about his life in the last 2 hours had been forced onto him, reversed and now he was supposed to accept; he couldn't handle it. And he definitely couldn't handle his father now telling him he must leave, must bear all this on his own. And…

'Well what about Yukio! What about him?' Rin didn't mean to sound so accusing, but he felt pain that he was the only one going through this, that no one was telling Yukio he was a demon or that Yukio had to leave or suddenly run off to who knew where.

'You are fraternal twins- Yukio was too weak and the blood rejected him, it passed only to you. Now hurry and go!' He pointed to the door, but Rin stood still. He felt angry, sad… betrayed. Why should only he go? Why was he suddenly being forced out of his home; was he unwanted? Now that the secret was let out, did no one want to put up with him anymore? Was he too dangerous for them? Or perhaps… the real reason was that he had failed too many times for them… he wasn't like Yukio who was good at everything…

'I get it now…' Rin could feel himself losing it. He was on the verge of breaking down; he bit his lip to prevent himself from crying. 'You only don't want me around… I get it, I'm not good enough for you, is that it? …I mean, we aren't even real family, so its ok to throw me out right? I get it… but…but!' Rin's voice raised to a shout, and without looking him in the eye, he shouted, 'You've always hated me, I know... I'm always a failure to you! You're glad to get rid of me now right? Fine, but don't!… don't ever act to me like you're my father ever a-!' Rin was slapped across the face.

There was silence. The father was breathing heavily, his arm still raised; this was the first time he had hit him. And yet, Rin had never seen him look this tired… or pained. Rin felt guilty. He hadn't meant to go that far, but the moment had gotten the better of him, giving way for his bottled up emotions. Rin stooped to pick up his bag, getting ready to leave. He understood that this was the way it had to be, that his father wasn't going to change his mind. He had turned away from Rin, perhaps to let him leave without saying good-bye. Rin dragged his feet slowly to the door, when suddenly many things happened at once. A loud noise, the door blew shut in front of him from an unknown wind, and the light above shattered into pieces, casting Rin into confusion and darkness. He heard a voice, the voice of his father, strained and exhausted coming from behind,

'No…not- now! It's… Rin! Go- hurry and leave! It's-!' but his voice cut off sharply, sending the room into an eerie quiet.

'What's wrong…?' Rin shouted into the blackness. He had dropped his bag. He could feel his heart beating, staring into emptiness… something was wrong, there was something... And he could feel… a coldness unconnected to the room steep into his body as he stepped a few cautious steps towards his father's outline.

'Father?' Rin asked uncertainly as he came towards his figure, for he was standing now, looking over the room and then at Rin.

'_Son_…' Rin stopped, fear settling in his stomach as he looked up at him. His voice… it was different. A hollow tone, cracked and chilling like ice. Rin knew this wasn't his father… it was someone… something else.

But before Rin could think any further, the room lit up, blinding him into blue light. Flames erupted all over the room, the walls, ceiling and floor, causing Rin to squint at the brightness of it all. He had backed right up to the door, unable to do anything but stare at the man across from him, a man who resembled someone he knew, but now covered in flame and staring right back, a fire in his eyes.

'My son… _my_ son,how I've waited for this… so long!' He walked over to Rin, who had fallen to the ground, unable to comprehend what was happening, what had happened to his father. In mere moments, everything had changed.

"How are you? Its _soo_ good to see you at last, fifteen years!' He stood over Rin, overshadowing all else.

'Don't you think this reunion is _long _overdue? Father and son, meeting for the first time…' His eyes lit with excitement, laughing at Rin's expression. He smiled a horrible smile, maniacal, a smile in which no way complimented the body he was using. He continued speaking, blood slowly trickling from his mouth and nose,

'The name's Satan, in case you didn't know? or actually, you can call me father… or how about daddy? Aha…'

Rin cringed at the idea of ever calling this horrible monster 'daddy'. He had always had an imagination of his real father... but now that was completely shattered, replaced by the thing that stood before him; blood was oozing of every particle on his body: his ears, eyes, nose… hands. Rin nearly puked when he saw him rip off his fingers; or actually, the fingers of his once father. As the blue flames were still flickering around the room, the monster moved backwards into the room, contemplating his bloody state while he let the red substance of his fingers drip over the floor.

He was saying something, and Rin knew whatever it was it couldn't be good. Like when the demon from early had spoken, a twisted tongue, a foreign language… calling from an unknown world.

And Rin was right. Not long afterwards, the ground beneath started to shift. It shook and Rin watched in horror as tiny skulls boiled upwards like water, like a pit of play balls rattling the tone of death. Eyes appeared, black eyes; Rin didn't know what it was until it had completely formed, and even then it did not make sense; it was a giant pool, a bath full of black heads and eyes that watched from all directions. Rin felt it was even more horrible when he saw the eyes blink, heard the skulls speak and laugh in tiny whispers.

'I'm the only one who can call this… the Gehenna Gate, the only thing that can allow the passage of worlds. Now…' He turned back to the unsuspecting Rin and grabbed him by the hair. 'It's time you came back home… Rin? I heard it was… A pitiable human name… we shall have to think of a new one... And this sword…' He picked it up as he dragged Rin around the room. 'We shall need to destroy it… release you from the binding…'

'Let- go of me!' Rin tried to speak, but he had lost his voice; it came out strained and unheard, his small blue flames that started to spark out of his body the only sign of resistance.

He dragged Rin over to the pool, tossing him inside with the sword, the skulls immediately grabbing hold of him. Rin panicked as he felt himself attach to the laughing heads, he feet swimming in an endless bottom…

'I am the God of Gehenna… but do you know? I have but one flaw… one tiny flaw that makes me useless! Power! Nothing, nothing in this world can sustain my power! While mere fly demons can last an eternity in this world, I, I the God of demons cannot!...everything I touch destroys … look at this body, no more than minutes and its already falling apart… look what happened to you mother… but…' He came over and rubbed Rin's cheek with his hand of missing fingers, making Rin shudder and feel cold.

'You were an accident… I'll admit… …a game created for fun….But … I have since realized the true potential of your very existence…! You… you are the key I need to attain my desires! You see…' He bent down close, looking Rin in the eye as he fought in the pool, 'Here you exist in the world of Assiah…and yet you bear my blood, the God of Gehenna! Now let us go an-'

Rin became alarmed when the monster stopped talking. He had a dazed expression on his face, then toppled over into the pool, letting out a scream of pain. He had stabbed himself in the chest with a knife. What was happening? Rin heard a voice, familiar, soft and so sweet in this desperate situation, his father whispered, his truer father, spoke ,

'You think… I'll let you take him? He's my son…'

His voice changed again, coming back to the monster, arguing to someone still inside. Blood was spluttering out and his voice crackling as he yelled,

'You damn… exorcist! But it doesn't matter… he can't… escape ...now…!'

And with that everything in the room became still. The flames had disappeared all at once, bringing Rin back to a darkness, causing him even more panic than when it was bright. At least then he could see the things grabbing at him. His father was now drifting lifelessly round with him, his body a slow moving lump in the pile of skulls. Oh god!

Rin called out to his body, trying to reach him before he sunk completely. He hoped against hope that he wasn't dead, though Rin couldn't feel that hope deep down. With an effort, after seeing his father's last fight, he grabbed his sword and pulled, not thinking twice about the consequences; not thinking about what his father had just told him about leaving it intact. He thought only of saving the man who had always saved him, who protected him till his last dying breath. The skulls squealed as blue flames, so much like the ones that just left the room, spread over his entire body, lighting the room once more, blinding him till he could see no more. He felt a change; his body felt better than it had in a long time, power coursing through his veins. Something crazy was exploding within him… his teeth bore fangs, he could feel a tail growing from behind… he was turning into a demon at the price of everything.

The gate disappeared, Rin had destroyed it. He had put the sword away now, his flames retreated. But that couldn't bring back the one who lay in front of him, now officially dead. Seeing his body, tortured, cut, and yet peaceful, an expression of satisfaction on his face, Rin finally let himself go. Before he knew it, tears were streaming down for everything that had happened, for everything that didn't happen… everything he wished had happened while he were still here. He sat crying till dawn.

* * *

><p>The funeral was held on Monday. In the backyard of the church, the father's body was put to rest. It was raining. Rin didn't attend, instead he was waiting until the formalities were over with; he couldn't stand to be around anyone else now. For sure they blamed him… after everything. He was watching from a far, watched as they lowered the casket deep into the earth. He saw Yukio, standing still in the small crowd. Rin couldn't read his expression. It was sad, and yet… blank.<p>

When everyone had finally gone, Rin headed over to the grave. He didn't know how long he had stood there, wishing so badly he could take everything back, wishing he could go and change _something_. On his neck he wore the key, on his back he carried the sword. He took out the phone his father had given him, looking at the number of the only place he probably had left in the world. He couldn't stay here any longer.

The rain slowly patted down on his head, his black hair dripping into his face. It was good that it was raining…

He pressed the numbers on the phone and waited. It was ringing…

'Hello, Rin Okumura correct?' He heard the voice echo from in his hand and right beside him. He turned to look, only to be slightly shocked at who was standing before him. The strangest man he had ever seen, dressed in a purple cape and hat, long black boots and an umbrella just as fancy as his clothes. He was speaking into his phone.

'Mephisto, Mephisto Pheles, you can call me.' He nodded his head a little to Rin. Could this man really be his father's friend? He had black, shoulder length hair and dark circles beneath his eyes; perhaps from late nights gone without sleep. He smiled, so strongly it almost looked as though he may burst out laughing. There was a blaze in his eyes too… though the next moment Rin thought he must have imagined it, for his eyes now held nothing but cold blackness.

'He said… you'd help me.' Rin said shortly. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to say his name… nor say anything really.

'It is a duty to him I wish to repay. However, there are much _greater duties_…I am still bound to …' He looked at Rin with a stone face, spoke fast and monotone, and yet Rin almost thought he saw a smile… as if he was trying to tell him something, some sort of secret… 'What is it you wish to do now? Run away? Be killed? Or perhaps…'

'I wish to be like him. An exorcist, I want to become an exorcist.'

Mephisto's eyes rounded, looking like he could hardly believe what Rin had just said. Then, for the first time since they had started talking, Mephisto released his barking laugh, doubling over, holding his sides, nearly crawling on the ground as he wiped away his tears. He laughed for so long it almost looked as if he had gone mad.

'Oh OH! This is too great, too great! Hehe… you wish to be an exorcist, you say? Satan's son an exorcist? Especially…Oh he would love that, now, wouldn't he? Hehe…ahaha!'

Rin couldn't really see his humour. He really couldn't laugh at anything anymore. He waited until the strange man finished, got back to his feet, and, as he did so, quite surprisingly, immediately stopped laughing as though he had never laughed in the first place. He looked at Rin seriously, his stone face coming back, his black eyes searching Rin for truthfulness,

'Do you mean that? Really mean it? And… what would you do... if you became one?'

'Defeat Satan.' Rin said bluntly.

This caused a very wide smile to cross Mephisto's face, like he had just seen something very interesting, and wished to cherish the moment. He took out a cane from seemingly nowhere, as if it were in his hand all along, and poked Rin in the chest as though making sure he was suitable enough for the task.

'The road of the exorcist is a hard one, my dear Rin, and no doubt you will have many more…troubles ahead if you choose this...he will not be happy, let me tell you… However!' Mephisto suddenly shouted, making Rin jump, his choice becoming something of a celebration, something that was finalized.

'Let us begin you now on your important journey! We have no time to waste, an exorcist you have decided, no stepping back now! Cross academy, that is where you shall start… of course,' He stepped closer to Rin, examining him at different angles. 'You will have to hide your…origins, and…' He looked around for Rin's tail, which Rin had hid well since the incident 'keep your features underneath, flames especially…the rest, such as teeth and ears can be passed for slight oddness. Oh and don't worry about getting into the academy', He guessed at Rin's open mouth, 'You see, I'm the principal of Cross academy…one word of mine is enough.'

Rin couldn't believe this. The principal? This crazy, purple, laughing man was the principal of the best school in the country, no, one of the best in the world? The place where Yukio was also going… but he couldn't pass up this opportunity; more than anything he had ever wanted in his life, more than anything he had ever known, he wanted to be an exorcist, he wanted to be strong enough so no one further die. He could go through hell and back, but he couldn't lose anyone else; he needed to be stronger.

Seeing the look of defiant determination on Rin's face, Mephisto curled and licked his lips, his black eyes shining, and with a final look towards the grave of father Fujimoto, he took Rin by the shoulders and off to Cross Academy, deeply pleased with how things had turned out; a malicious smile deviling across his face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

><p>The world was black. Down and beneath, through the glass and to the other side; an unknown world of darkness. Shadows screeched to other shadows in the vastness, the emptiness, soaring through wind with black wings that shielded across the sky. The world was silent; a strange humming filled the air, a consistent buzz that deafened the ears of any. A sun could be seen hanging in the sky, though you could not say it was exactly a sun; a mass of dark energy, a spherical black hole bearing down on the city below. And the city was black. Black buildings rose forth from the ground, erupting across the land like an endless sea; all of broken, crumbling nature as though they were the leftovers, the remains of another place, a once great time. And darkness had taken a from of its own in the world below. Its substance constantly moving about, flickering, shifting, sweeping through the air like a tragic song. It spewed off like dust, gathering in the most usual spots, seeming to be everywhere and yet no where beside the massive sky scrapers and houses that were crammed so untidily together. However, there was one structure which stood out far above the rest, and the darkness itself seemed to manifest from. A circular rock, a mountain larger than all; a castle climbing to the skies. Layers upon layers, windows upon windows, it soared to new highs never seeming to cease. Towering over the pitiable structures below, a force in its mere size. It was placed in the middle of the city as though someone had crushed all, flattened all in order to fit it. And bending around the castle, a massive wall encircled. Engraved as though scratched were pictures, a story running through time itself, dancing across the walls as the characters told all; the faces of demons and humans mingled into one. Two giant gates stood at the front, the only entrance in. They were usually well protected, many guards often standing watch; a steady flow of visitors walking to and from. Now, however, all was still… an eerily quiet scene in the middle of the day. The doors had not opened; not one guard stood watch. The humming ensued, the sun blared down on the sleeping city. And through the quiet streets of Gehenna, through the whispering voices of demons who stayed still, and had stayed still since the time it had begun… some hiding in houses, others gathering in small for talks … they listened to the quiet, to the shadows calling, to the twisted hum of the castle; they waited for word of it to be over, that it was safe to move; that the quiet rage, the stiffened atmosphere that had settled over the tower and throughout the city, all since the Demon Lord had realized his plans had failed, was over.<p>

'I heard…' One demon whispered to another in a crooked alley.

'His son…' Somewhere else, a tiny goblin croaked.

'This is the worst I've ever seen it…' Another fearfully exchanged.

Yet inside the tower, through the main hallways and entrances, towards the large double doors situated at the end of the hall, a large, cavernous blue lit room sat, and a bang, a shout of pain, for miles the only real sound that could be heard, echoed from within.

Someone bloody lay on the ground. He was human in appearance, all except a tail, ears and small horns which sprouted from his head. The messenger got slowly to his feet, wiping the blood that was trickling from his mouth onto his sleeve. But just as soon as he stood up he got back to his knees and continued his speech from before:

'I am sorry, my Lord, but what I say is the truth…. he has… he has… he's wanting to…to become an exorcist! and, and, it seems he is already on his way to… to… that school… once there, it will be very… I mean, more difficult to bring him here… my lord.'

'And…' A small but dangerous voice came from behind a veil of darkness. A shadow, a silhouette of a man was standing on a raised platform, pale hands clenched to the throne to which he stood behind, looking towards the crowd of silent watchers, looking towards the man that knelt before him. 'What of Mephisto? What has he been doing…?'

The messenger went quiet before replying,

'He… is the one guiding him there… my Lord.'

Silence. The air seemed to freeze, a coldness rushed forth; a bitter unquenchable frost that pierced the soul shuttered throughout the room. The blue flames that had lit the walls and ceiling blew on its rattling breath, their light flying from their holders, casting all into a smothering darkness. And still no one moved. A ruffle carried through the crowd, bodies stiffening, no one daring anything. Until…

'AHAHAHA! Mephisto is guiding him there, you say? He wants to be an exorcist? What is this? What is this? Mephisto...Mephisto...Mephisto...! ...Amaimon!'

'Ah, yes, yes?'

A new demon rushed from the aisle to step before the Demon Lord. He was young, peculiar with his short green hair and buttoned suit. One single horn stood straight from his head, almost like one giant spike of his hair. His eyes were of strange yellow nature, flickering in all directions as though he wasn't sure of where to look. He didn't kneel or bow like the messenger, but instead stood politely and waited for more. Yet he was rigid in the darkness, stiff, his eyes constantly searching for the voice in front of him.

'Amaimon…' The voice spoke, 'Go find your brother …you have visited him before no? So tell him… dearest father wishes to see him… after so long… and tell him, tell him!' The last words echoed through the hall, carrying on to even the smallest corners at the back, 'to take care… of his newest brother, tell him… Amaimon, now go!'

There was no hesitation. The moment the order, Amaimon was already getting ready to leave.

'Come, behemoth, let us go…' Something small scurried to Amaimon's feet, following with fast patted legs as Amaimon closed the doors behind him. The moment they slammed shut, creaking into place, and the last of any noise which could distract from the stiffened air was gone, did the crowd turn once more for something, anything, to take from the maddening silence.

'Now…' The Demon Lord continued, his voice carrying on through the dark, sending fear and uncertainty into the hearts and minds of all.

* * *

><p>Rin stared out the window, tracing unknown patterns against the glass as he watched the world go by. Trees and fences passed, creating streaks of colour; they had no meaning. He wondered when they would arrive, for they had been driving for some time now. He was heading towards Cross Academy to begin his lessons for exorcism. Exorcism…Rin didn't know what to expect. He felt strange, like he was entering into a world in which he didn't belong. Which side was he on? Was he a demon, human… or what? He felt neither, like somehow he was squished in-between and didn't belong anywhere. But also… he almost laughed, he had always felt this way right? That he didn't belong. Why was it now that it was suddenly something of concern? Because he had found out he had a 'reason' for feeling different? Because he now had answers to his questions?<p>

Mephisto was taking him to his new school. Yukio had already left. He wondered what Yukio was doing… he wanted to talk with him… explain himself. Maybe he wanted Yukio to understand, to not blame him for anything. Yukio was all he had left in the world, his only connection to normalcy. If Yukio would reject him, what would he have left? He hoped… he knew he couldn't say for sure… especially after the funeral, but he hoped that he would understand…

Rin noticed the scene outside was changing. No longer were they coursing through fields and fields of nothingness, but now small buildings were passing by, and much more frequently; they were once again in some form of civilization. And then… Rin nearly let his mouth hang at the sight; he had never seen something so…

In the distance, a massive structure stood. Buildings upon buildings rose high into the clouds, nearly reaching heaven. It was constructed as though there were no map, no guide, and everything was lumped, piled on into an infinite mass… yet somehow it all fit perfectly, even neatly together. There was no describing how it was engineered, like magic kept it all from falling. Bridges connected randomly, trains could be seen running through; the bottom layer contained what looked like a small district, and as the levels grew higher so did its complexity, finally reaching to the peak to where a single cross rested. It was like a majestic castle built for a king. Cross academy… Rin stared at its beauty. He had never seen such a place… nor a school. A little against his will, Rin thought of his old home, the old church. He never said good-bye to anyone before leaving. He had simply left. He was grateful to everyone who had taken care of him… really. But he just couldn't say good-bye. And … maybe by not saying good-bye, he had never really left anyway. This was his new home, true, but he wouldn't be saying good-bye to his old one either. Home… he was still coming to terms with what exactly that meant.

'Rin… Rin…!' A voice slowly reached his ears. It was Mephisto. He still couldn't believe, even more so now that he had seen the school, that this man was the one in charge of it. Well, maybe that would explain the layout…

'Good to see you haven't fallen asleep… that wasn't too long was it?'

They had been driving for nearly 3 hours, of course he was exhausted. They were parked just in front of one of the trains leading up to the Gates. Cross Academy was well protected, it seemed, against anything and everything. Rin hadn't really noticed from a distance, but now up close he could see the sheer massiveness of it. He had thought Cross academy was big before… clearly his perceptions were a little off. The gates, as the only entrance into the academy, were so tall, so fortified, Rin could barely make out the top, and so thick he couldn't possibly image anyone being able to open them. He wondered whether it was for protection they used these gates, or perhaps just a way to keep the students in.

Mephisto opened his door and Rin got out. But before they could leave, Mephisto blocked the way.

'Now, you do remember our agreement no?' Mephisto started, leaning over Rin and giving him no room to breathe. 'You will attend to an exorcist cram school; you will learn as fast as possible. Your identity will be kept hidden, of course, unless you want to be killed on the spot.' He straightened up a little, then bent back down to whisper in Rin's ear, 'And I should warn you too, my dear Rin, not to... forget where you are, you see? For things can change… people too cannot be trusted, its all a… matter of odds really. One thing can happen, the next… hehe, well, I cannot say precisely how the dice will roll, who am I to judge on future events? Now…'

He said this all very quickly, then took Rin's hand and lead him over to the train. Rin didn't bring any supplies other than what he was carrying, he was already gambling everything on the man in front of him; there was no need to tell him the importance of trust.

Mephisto took him onto the platform where other students gathered. He couldn't help but feel they were slightly out of place; a tall purple suited man pulling along a teenage boy who carried only a sword. The train could be heard, rattling the rails from an underground tunnel. Rin was sort of nervous, he was really starting to feel the pressure of a new school; and a really good school at that. He was thankful when it came up so he could finally leave Mephisto; not only so he could just go and get things over with, but also because there was something about Mephisto that made him feel… strange. Like deep within, somehow they were connected; whenever Mephisto looked at him with his black circled eyes, or when he was bringing him along towards Cross academy, or even now as he was taking Rin over to the platform, he couldn't help but imagine that they were actually related. Like a brother bringing along another brother… that was how Mephisto made him feel, and he couldn't explain it, nor did he necessarily like it. Sure they had similar hair colour and such, but that certainly wasn't enough to think these thoughts. Perhaps it was just the way Mephisto treated him… or perhaps it was his utter lack of family relationships that was making him desperate for such feelings. Ugh.

The train shuttered to a stop and the doors slid open. Piles of students started to head inside, Rin as well but before he could even take a step he was pulled back by his collar. Mephisto clearly had something else to tell him. Ugh!

'Oh, now now, don't you wish to say good-bye before we part? After all, we may not see each other for a while…' He did a sad face, then switched to a smirk as he looked at the upside-down Rin, 'you _do_ know where to find your classes right?... I assumed so. Here;'

He placed a key, yet another one, over Rin's neck,

'This key will be extremely useful, use it whenever you are in doubt. Any door, anywhere, will open at its touch. If lost, this key is perfect to find the way out. I see you have one for drawers too? Perfect combination, I must say.'

The train let out its final signal for students to board, making Mephisto and Rin glance,

'I guess we must part ways here, if I call for you… I'm sure you'll be able to find me; my office is not something of a mystery.' And with that, Mephisto pushed Rin onto the train just as the doors slammed shut. He smiled and tipped his hat as it left, and then, to a slightly surprised Rin, seemed to poof into thin air as the platform slid out of sight and he headed down into the underground tunnel.

* * *

><p>Clap. Clap. Clap. The sound was all around him, and yet Rin didn't join. Lights blared, Rin stood in a dark corner of the theatre, a little ways away from the audience. The entrance ceremony was nearly over, and yet he still couldn't believe that Yukio was on the stage, giving the opening speech, receiving awards for his achievements and high grades. It felt like… Rin couldn't explain. He was happy that Yukio was being recognized and he was smart enough that the school appreciated him. He really was. Yukio deserved it for all his hard work. But the only thing… the only thing that made Rin's insides feel cold and dead, that left his mouth dry and his feet feel numb…was that Rin never knew. Not once did Yukio ever tell him, not once did Yukio ever say he was doing this… he knew Yukio was a good student, but this good? It was like, the Yukio he always knew was in fact not Yukio at all… they were twin brothers and yet suddenly Rin felt he knew nothing. Like suddenly they weren't even brothers. Yukio had chosen to leave him unaware, he had chosen to keep it to himself. Rin felt pain that maybe it was because of what happened…The stage, and Yukio, had never seemed so far away as of now. Before the final words were said, before the other students started to get up and head towards the doors, Rin left.<p>

* * *

><p>'Let's see… Class 1106…1106…' It was taking forever. The key Mephisto gave him was useless! Rin had been trying it out for fun, testing to see if it actually worked… and indeed it did. Doors that were locked, trap doors, hidden doors that didn't even have a handle, they all opened at the keys touch. Cross academy was full of tricks and secret passages, so it wasn't hard to find things to test. But what good did that do him any? It had made him even more lost! Now he was traveling through a maze, trying to find some sort of a short-cut… his brilliant short-cuts that always ended up turning into long-cuts. He was now 10 minutes late for his first class, all thanks to the key.<p>

He burst through a tapestry and into an unknown hallway. Rin was sure this had to be it… the exorcist classrooms were in a separate, more excluded part of Cross academy, and this was the only section which seemed close to number 1106…

His heart held for a moment. There, at the end of the hallway, room 1106 stood as if silently waiting for him to arrive. The door was slightly ajar, the lights on and welcoming. He had made it…

He walked cautiously towards the room, then waited for a brief moment. He pushed and entered, fully prepared to receive some sort of lecture for coming late. However, the room was with lack of anything really. A few students littered randomly across the chairs, talking leisurely, one even had his feet resting on the top of his desk; and a teacher was no where in sight. Had he really made it? Was this really the right classroom?

'Yo, are you coming in or are you just going to stand there all day?' The guy who was resting his feet on the desk shouted. He had slicked, dark blue hair coupled with blond highlights. Strange though it was, it seemed to suit him.

'Is this…uh, the exorcist room? The cram school?' Rin asked uncertainly. He didn't know, somehow he no longer believed the number out front.

'Of course, what other class could you find with this small amount of students?' Another prompted. He sat near the empty back, messy brown hair and a big grin spreading across his face. 'I'm Shima, that's Bon there.' He said, pointing to the blue haired boy in front of him.

'I'm Rin, Rin Okumura.' Rin said as he took a seat near to them. He looked around the room. Besides these two, there was really only a few others. A girl with black hair sat at the front, hands placed neatly on her desk as though she was impressing a teacher who wasn't there. She hadn't bothered to even look at Rin, mumbling to herself what looked like mental notes. Another guy sat near the wall, looking at games on some device. And the final guy was sitting a little away from the corner back, playing with puppets, it seemed, for fun.

'Where's everyone? Is this it?' Rin asked, feeling like there definitely should be more coming.

'If they come, they come. None of my concern…' Bon said sleepily. 'The only real question to ask is where is the teacher?'

But just then, footsteps could be heard and the door opened to reveal a person. Though Rin couldn't believe who was coming in; Yukio. What was he, of all people, doing here? In this obscure building far apart from the normal ones? In an exorcist building, of all places? For a moment, Rin thought Yukio was coming to talk to him, that perhaps he needed something and came to search him out. However, he did neither. Yukio settled at the teachers desk unaware, setting up supplies from his bag, taking out tiny instruments as though he always did this. Rin was utterly confused.

'Yukio? What are you doing here?' Rin asked across the room. But Yukio didn't even look up. Rin felt more stabs of pain as he watched his brother ignore him. Rin hated misunderstandings. He wanted Yukio to understand… he needed to explain, he had not talked to Yukio since the incident.

'Yukio! Answer me…' Rin asked once more. This time, Yukio looked up, but it didn't make Rin feel any better. A cold stare, black eyes of annoyance, no smile on his face… Rin felt like he did not even know him, he who looked behind the glasses. His twin brother, his only family left, did not look on him with kind eyes.

'Okumura,' Yukio started, causing Rin slight shock that he did not use his first name, 'Please be quiet now that class has started. …Now, my name is Yukio Okumura,' Yukio began, again ignoring Rin and addressing the class, 'I may be around your age but I am very knowledgeable and adept at the skills of Exorcism, having learnt from the best. I hope I can teach all of you well, and I hope all of you will become fine exorcists. Now the first thing we should..'

And with that, Yukio started to teach the class. The whole room seemed a bit unnerved with Yukio looking so young, but nonetheless they sat and followed. Rin however, was not taking in a word Yukio was saying. He couldn't understand how Yukio could just not say anything. Just teach as if all were normal. Just begin as if Rin were any other student. He couldn't take it. He couldn't take being ignored like this, especially from someone who he had thought, until now, known quite well. Now he was giving speeches and teaching a class for exorcism; who was he really? The Yukio he knew was always afraid, quiet and reserved, not like this person who stood in front of him, lecturing about demons and exorcism, acting cold and uncaring towards his only brother. Rin got up and walked over to Yukio, the class behind silently watching, intrigued by the unfolding drama.

'Please sit down Okumura, you are causing a disturbance to the class.' Yukio said blankly, his glasses shining his eyes, the desk separating them from any contact.

'I want to talk.'

'We can talk later. Now…'

'No, not later, I know you won't talk later… ever since the funeral you've ignored me, what is this? How come you are teaching? I thought…'

'You may have thought a lot of things, but clearly you never looked deep enough. I've been doing exorcism since I was 6 years old…father taught me. This is my first time teaching, and I… never thought I would be teaching you. Now, return to your seat…I have a class to teach.'

'No!' Rin shoved the desk in anger, causing it to slide further than normal. The whole class jumped. Yukio, however, remained still, hand still raised to the blackboard in the midst of writing.

'I can… see you won't be persuaded. Very well. Sorry class, I will only be a moment.' Yukio said as he walked over to the door, holding it open for Rin. Rin burst out into the hallway, waited for the door to shut and then shouted at Yukio with everything he had to say.

'What the hells going on? Why do you treat me like this? You act like you don't even know me, and yet we're brothers! You never told me anything, and I… I don't know what you want me to do! I thought you wanted to be a doctor, not an exorcist! Since when? How come I never knew anything? What… what…' He didn't want to say, 'how much do you know?'

Yukio stared. Apparently he hadn't expected Rin to say all of this at once. He sighed, then wiped his glasses on his sleeve, perhaps so he didn't have to look up directly.

'You didn't know… I think you should know now why. Father didn't want you in on that world… of course. I always knew though, everyone in the church knew… it was only you who didn't.'

Rin felt strange, again. Like his whole life was crashing in on him, like his whole life was just one big lie. Did this mean everyone in his life was just faking? That no one really liked him, that everyone thought he was just a monster. He felt he couldn't be sure of anything anymore…. And…

"Then… then how, how did… you think of me? What do you think of me now?' Rin's heart was beating unusually fast, like he could almost hear the answer already.

'What did I think? Of course what anyone would think; that I'm related to a demon. Did you know that my whole life I've been able to see them? Because on the day of our birth you nearly killed me. What did you think I would think? That I'd be happy to have you as a brother? Father was always shielding you, always protecting you… I can't understand why he did in the first place, disobeying orders. You're a danger to the world, you should just turn yourself in…. I have no idea what you were thinking… trying to become an exorcist… brother. I hope it is not some foolish revenge scheme, some way to make up for your... mistakes.'

Rin didn't know what to feel. He felt empty, sad and lost, but at the same time something was stirring in his stomach, something that made him yell in protest, for the first time in his life, at Yukio,

'Mistakes? You don't really believe that it was my fault father died, do you? He died trying to protect me, Yukio, and if you don't want to believe in me, at least believe in him. And it was not revenge that I decided to become an exorcist, it was because I didn't want to see anyone else die!' Rin kicked in at the wall before storming off, moving fast down the hall and out of sight. He didn't wish to talk with Yukio anymore, it was only causing him grief and pain.

And Yukio stood still beside the door, pale and cold, his glasses shining in the light, staring at the place where Rin had left; he listened to his distant footsteps fall away, Rin's voice of sadness echoing through his mind; he did not move from that spot for some time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

><p>The wind at his back, the moon glistening down upon his majestic castle of Cross Academy; '<em>his <em>Cross Academy, _his_ castle', he thought a little bitterly in the midnight chill. The bright orb that watched over the night, glowing faintly between the dark clouds made he realize how he much loved the earth's moon; a singular, lone beauty which called upon no one. And indeed, he called upon no one. Mephisto waited on the roof-top of the utmost pillar, watching the small lights flicker below, the tiny people moving slowly back to their homes. But they would not look up here. They would not look towards the sky tonight. And any moment now… his brother would be coming. He had had to take special precautions for this visit, disarming the entire school for one hour. Mephisto had an idea of what this visit was about, but in no way was he letting his guard down. Sure, the spells were down and the castle up for anyone's game during that time, but he did not take them away from the exorcists section. He would not go that far. Not against _him_. Mephisto had not bothered to even keep contact, had not bothered to go back for centuries, … and certainly, he wasn't planning to anytime soon.

He remained stoned faced as he waited in the dark for his unseen guest.

Just then, a loud 'pop' sounded the area, followed by smoke from the roof just opposite him. Through it, a man clad in green, with green hair and a single horn propped from his head, riding on what appeared to be a giant black goblin, clambered down the roof with great commotion. He smiled at Mephisto. A great smile showing his sharp teeth. His tail whipping around as though in excitement.

'Brother! Long time, hasn't it been?' Amaimon shouted and waved, hands flurrying through the air; he nearly lost his footing and slipping off the roof completely in his wild dancing.

'No, no… _In fact I think even this is a little too often_…' Mephisto whispered to himself before shouting, 'Why don't you come over here! Then we can talk…'

A great leap and Amaimon jumped from the roof, landing somewhat clumsily beside Mephisto. The goblin didn't follow, slumping over and apparently trying to get back to sleep.

'Brother!' Amaimon reached out, attempting to hug Mephisto with outstretched arms. But Mephisto dodged, pushing him away with his cane and regaining his composure.

'Now, now, we don't have a lot of time for small chitchat, that can come later; the barriers will be back before you know it. What is the message you wished, or rather, urgently needed to inform me of?'

'Oh, brother, you wouldn't believe the mood father is in! Let us relax a bit… I haven't been able to breathe at all. Do you have anything? I'm tired, especially after traveling all the way here…' Amaimon stretched and yawned sleepily, clearly ready to go join his pet in a midnight nap.

'_Oh, I would believe it…_' Mephisto murmured darkly to himself. 'So… what has been going on… with…?' He asked, rather coolly.

Amaimon didn't seem to pick up on the coldness of his brother, lazily answering while searching his pockets for something to eat. 'Brother, is it true you led little brother here, without permission and are letting him join the exorcist's school?' He said all this very fast, munching on a cracker and looking utterly bored, giving the impression that he didn't believe a word of it himself. However, to his shock, and to his crumbling cracker which fell to pieces out of his hanging mouth, was the smile which started to stretch over Mephisto's face, his black eyes glittering with a small flame; all which said too well that, yes, he did do it.

'But… but…' Amaimon started to panic, the cracker long forgotten. Indeed, not once, even through the messenger's reports and his fathers orders, had Amaimon suspected that Mephisto was guilty. It had not even crossed his mind. Mephisto was often accused, many demons choosing to believe him a trickster… but Amaimon had never believed them; he trusted his older, wiser brother. Now, however….

'Amaimon, you know better than to doubt me no? Have you ever doubted me?'

'No, but…'

'Well, then, why should you start now? You know me well enough to know that I wouldn't do something foolish with no reason. Ha! Yes, Amaimon, trust me… things will work out… in the end. And that brother of ours too, he will learn properly in no time…'

'What is he like; little brother? He has lived with humans right? I don't understand the big deal; is he strong?'

Mephisto smiled, giving off his mysterious aura while looking towards the moon. 'Strong, but not too strong… for now. He has the flames…though they are locked within the sword. As for him personally… well, you'll probably meet him eventually; rash and hot-blooded; a fight with you two would be well worth the watch.'

'Flames? Those flames? _What!_ But no one in the family has those… except-'

'Him.' Mephisto finished his line. 'Which is why his presence causes so much commotion, both here and there. Besides that, I'm sure _he_ has other plans for him as well. That being said, I simply thought a little extra training before wouldn't hurt! Hehe…'

'But brother, what can he possibly learn here that he can't learn back home?' Amaimon asked suspiciously.

'Amaimon, tell dear father this: I will look after him for the time being; I will make sure our little brother is… able enough…when he is learned, he will be much more ready to accept things as they are. I meant no harm in my bringing him here, I simply wished to bring him closer to understanding. Reassure him that everything will turn out… let us make a deal of it.'

'Are you not going to come back, brother? He asked to see you.'

A wide, sharp grin plastered Mephisto's face, his black slick hair pointing at the tips, and for a moment he looked truly mad, seeming to ravish in a thought unknown to all. 'I haven't been back for so long, but even I can tell the time is drawing near… but not yet…not so soon.'

They stood, eyes meeting, the wind whipping around their cloaks as time continued to move. The people below kept moving, the little lights flickering, slowly turning off as the night progressed. Neither moved, and neither said a word; a silent connection forming between. A bell rang in the distance, a church bell calling the hours. Its rhythm carried slowly through the land, its lone voice breaking all barriers. It was time.

'The gates will close soon. Best be off now.'

'Yes. I will tell father of everything, brother. Now…' Amaimon looked over to his pet behemoth, shrunken in size now and sleeping peacefully in a small bundle. He grinned. 'Now how will I get out, brother? My ride is sleeping in his own drool…' He jumped effortlessly over to the other roof and picked up his companion. He turned towards Mephisto.

'Brother... Come back soon.' He shouted and waved, and with a 'pop', just the same as when he had come, just as quickly as when he had first arrived, in a poof of smoke and flash, Amaimon was gone.

Mephisto looked towards the spot, watching the smoke slowly drift away. The bells continued their counting, and on the last stroke, Mephisto too disappeared into the night.

* * *

><p>Rin was heading towards his exorcist class… again. He had gone, then left, and then come back all in a short period of time. He kept going to the door, then turning around back down the hall; he was undecided about how he should approach the class. Rin had skipped the first few lessons, partly out of anger at Yukio, well actually, mostly just <em>because<em> of Yukio. Rin just didn't know how to face him. One, they had fought, and he didn't know how to fix it. Two, was that Rin would have to handle his brother as a teacher… teaching him. He didn't know what to expect. Three days had gone by since their 'chat', and Rin had not seen him since. And even then, Rin didn't know if he wanted to even if he could.

The door opened. Uh oh. Rin was standing right in front, a hand reached out in an attempt to open it. He would have turned invisible if he could, he didn't want to be seen right outside his class after being an hour late already. He couldn't face Yukio so soon! But randomly, it wasn't Yukio, a different man emerging into the hall. He was dressed all in black, had soft brown hair and an eye patch over one eye. He stopped at the sight of Rin.

'Well, if it isn't Okumura? Who knew you'd actually stop by and come to class today?' The man sneered slightly, walking out a little and forcing Rin to step backwards.

Rin was confused. Where was Yukio? And who was this man, who seemed to know him? Why was he so rude? Maybe he had skipped too many classes… now everyone would know him for the wrong reasons. Again.

'I…' Rin started, but before he could finish, the man spoke over,

'Whatever, it doesn't matter now. Get in there, the others are practicing summons.' He pushed Rin through the doors and then left the class, heading off to his previously distracted business.

'Ah you! Rin was it? Where've you been?' Shima, the messy haired one, asked.

The class was arranged in a circle; the desks being pushed up against the walls. Since the number of students was so small, everyone was spread fairly evenly. All were holding small pieces of paper, some waving it through the air with arms flying, others mumbling deeply into it, mouths pressed against the white sheet with eyes closed. Rin wondered what this 'summoning' thing really was.

'I was…' Rin started before being interrupted,

'It doesn't matter where he's been; obviously he doesn't take this class seriously…' The blue haired Bon muttered harshly while speaking unknown words to his paper, and then when nothing happened, shaking it in frustration.

'Don't worry about him,' Shima whispered as Rin took a place in the circle next to him, 'He's only mad because he can't get this thing to work. He takes his studies very seriously… you know… of the blue night, don't you? Bon had his home and his families reputation ruined because of it… now he works to be an exorcist and defeat the "one who caused it"… he won't take kindly to anyone who shows slack, he can't stand that.' Shima sighed.

Rin didn't know what the blue night was, but for obvious reasons he didn't really want to find out. Blue flames never equaled anything good.

'So how does this work?' He changed the subject. 'What are you supposed to do? I didn't know people could 'summon' things…'

'Ah… I can't explain it. Maybe…'

But just then, a loud 'bang' sounded, smoke flew and a girl's shriek followed by a painful gasp filled the room. In front of a black haired girl were two large dogs, appearing as if out of no where. They were turning on the girl, growling and ready to attack. She fell back in fear.

'Izumo! Gather your courage; demons detest fear! If you can't, tear the paper, quick!' Bon shouted over the mess.

Izumo, still sitting on the floor, attempted to stand. She drew herself up and shouted at the wolves, casting away her previous image and gaining control. The wolves turned and spoke in rough language,

'Girl…do not falter, or there shall be consequences. Summon us and we will obey… but summon us and cower and you won't live to see. Don't ever forget… ' And with that, the two disappeared on their own, leaving the red-faced girl with shock and disappointment. Everyone stared.

'Its ok Izumo… I, I , I will also do a summon!' A short, blonde haired girl stammered. Rin hadn't noticed her before; either she was new to the class, or he hadn't been here for her introduction. She pressed the paper to her lips and spoke softly, her kimono of flowers making her look timid and unsure. However, once spoken, the paper burst open and a tiny speck flew out. She jumped, not having expected anything to come.

Nearly everyone in the class burst out laughing. It was so small, like a dust particle; a pocket sized demon who couldn't even speak, only shout out squeaks of gibberish. It looked like some odd plant, a flower sticking out of its head while it wore greenery all over. It looked completely useless. It had to be one of the lowest classes of demons.

'Oh god! Ahaha, what is that, Moriyama? A bug? How can that thing be any good!' Shima fell over laughing, holding both his sides in pain.

Izumo cracked a rare smile, finding it amusing that in her mind the small plant seemed to suit its owner very well. She grinned and said 'Well done, Moriyama, I congratulate you...for this…small feat.'

Bon smirked, then looked down at his own failed attempts and quickly stopped.

Rin smiled as well, but not for the same reasons as everyone else. He was just thinking how nice it was that she seemed not to care what everyone else thought; she pet the small creature with kindness and warmth, looking at it fondly and full of pride. She didn't think of it as a demon, but as a friend. Rin admired this. Now that he had seen the basics of summoning, he felt he understood something too. You could use the circle to summon, and speak words to make them come and obey, but that wasn't the most important thing; what was needed most was a strong will and courage, and even the tiniest of demons would come to your aid. Rin wondered what her name was…

'Shiemi, my name is Shiemi…' She said as Rin asked her after class.

* * *

><p><em>3 weeks later…<em>

* * *

><p>Mephisto circled around the hallway, distaste in his mouth, a bitterness in every step. His eyes flamed bright, a fire burning in his spirit. He strode towards his office, the top most room of Cross Academy. He opened the door and slammed it shut, resting against the frame as he contemplated the news he had just received. He had no choice now. Was it all hopeless? All of his efforts in vain? He had seemed to succeed, it was all going according to plan… but now, at one word…. all was uncertain. He couldn't stop it, he could do nothing now. He was beaten, he had lost. His game would end before it had even begun! What… what could he do? How could he stop… ah. Something occurred to him, something… it was always there, right in front of his eyes... That was it. Perhaps not stop, but delay. And by delay, perhaps… he could win. Yes… aha. How could he not have thought of something so obvious? He smirked, then grinned, and as he relished in the idea of the plan he had come up with, he burst into hysteria, screaming at the top of his lungs, gasping for breath at the hilarity of it all. Oh, it would be great, great to see his expression! And at the same time, ensure his own plans didn't fail completely. Yes… this was… perfect…<p>

* * *

><p>Rin lay on his bed, looking up at the bare, white ceiling. It was evening, he had just come back from his last class. Rin lived in a single small room up in the exorcist dormitories; he had only one bed and one dresser. Mephisto had given him it when he first arrived. It was a bit gloomy, but he had gotten used to it now. There was a small window, the first stars of night could be seen; the sun leaving the world as darkness started to rule. He lay in the quietness, stillness, listening to the air move outside. The wind rattled the roof, the window, the walls, all attempting to make its way in. He thought about his day at school. Or rather, his first month at school. He smiled to himself. He had made some nice friends. Shima, Shiemi, Izumo… and Bon too. Although he was a little mean sometimes with Rin, he understood why. And he was nice enough occasionally. Rin thought of this for some time, remembering all the fun moments in class he had had. They were all fellow exorcist students, the idea seemed funny to him. Rin had never had friends before, so the happy feeling in his chest didn't die even when he fell asleep.<p>

'in…Rin…' Someone shook him awake. It was Yukio. Rin sat up very fast and looked at his brother; this was the closest they had been since… that time. Usually Yukio spent his time trying to ignore him.

'…' Yukio quickly distanced himself as well. He strode over to the door, and with his back turned, he muttered, 'Mephisto wants to see you, he's waiting in his office; also, you left your notebook on your desk, unless you want to get it tomorrow… That's all…' And then he left, the door hanging open after him.

Rin quickly gathered his things and walked out the door. He felt a bit down after this talk with Yukio. Somehow he was hoping Yukio would just forgive him, or that they could magically talk and everything would be fine. But since their fight, neither had said a word. Perhaps Rin was too stubborn, but then Yukio was as well. And Mephisto… what did he want? It was getting late, he had fallen asleep at six, now it was ten. What could possibly be important enough at this time of night?

Mephisto had once told him finding his office was very easy… Rin could now see why. Once he had found the teachers hallways, there was a distinct change in the decorations throughout the next. Like a strange pathway leading you on, colours and bright lights, odd pictures hanging from the ceiling, the floor way changing from wood to black marble, with arrows pointing and saying 'This way!' until you couldn't look anymore; the whole place was blinding you. Higher and higher Rin climbed through the strangeness, and finally on the last landing, the decorations calmed down a bit and the hallway looked relatively normal. Except for the large 'Mephisto' writing that was on the door.

Rin knocked hesitantly on the wood, unsure of what was going to happen.

'…yes? you can come in.' a voice sounded, muffled from behind.

Rin opened the door with awareness, his hand in view, pushing slowly as the room came into sight. Mephisto sat at his overly large desk in front of an overly large window, a smile on his face and gesturing for him to take a seat. Rin, having only known Mephisto for a short time, it felt like a life time, and after having the 'pleasure' to take in the hallways below, it somehow didn't come to him as a surprise that his office too was stuffed full of toys and stuffed animals. However, compared to below, this room had a certain elegance, a sense of pride that simplified the toys into something of antiques; there was even a beautiful chandelier full of candles which hung over the room. Rin took a seat nervously as he faced Mephisto.

* * *

><p>Yukio walked back to his room, his glasses fogging up, a sense… that something wasn't right. He didn't know what it was, but he felt as though he were walking his last steps; he was very aware of his surroundings, an ominous feeling that something would happen. He had sent Rin to see Mephisto… hopefully that was alright. True, he didn't trust Mephisto one-hundred percent, but he still trusted him enough as the principal of Cross Academy; he held responsibilities, he was part of the council. And besides… he was the one to aid Rin in getting here. Without him, Rin would probably have been in much worse trouble.<p>

Yukio stopped walking, sighed, and looked down. He had wanted to talk with Rin about… that night, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Rin was his brother… but what did he truly think of him? Yukio was unsure. He wanted to be brothers, he wanted to be close… but somehow, Rin was always…

He kept walking. The feeling of dread seemed to pass as he occupied his time searching the area.

* * *

><p>Rin was confused. What… exactly had Mephisto wanted? He had left the office completely bewildered, unsure of anything anymore. Mephisto had asked him how his day was, made him a drink, talked for five minutes and that was it. Rin thought the meeting would have been much more important than that. Who calls someone for tea at midnight? Only Mephisto…<p>

He walked back slowly, his keys around his neck jingling, his sword on his back feeling heavy; he never left anywhere without these, he even slept with them. As he reached the teacher hallways again, he decided he would head back down to get his notebook Yukio had told him about… he couldn't remember if he had homework and decided it was too risky to leave it. He should be able to enter the class if he used his key…

The hallways were quiet, Rin suddenly feeling nervous of the dark. Usually he was fine… but something… felt strange. The candle lit walls cast shadows all around, sometimes making him jump a few feet if one merely flickered. He felt like he was in another world, lost in a place he did not know. When he finally reached the classroom and opened it with his key, he grabbed his notebook and ran back out. Once he had gotten it, though, and held it in his hands, his feelings vanished; all was well if he could now head back to his room.

Rin though, had only gotten a little ways down the hall before something in front of him moved and his heart nearly stopped. No, it was not a shadow… he could tell that much. Eyes of bright shone in the blackness… a silhouette standing, looking down at him from a distance. Then, another one appeared, a shadow that was moving closer, laughing slightly in the dark. Who were they? What did they want? But... as they stepped into the dim light of the candles, Rin could instantly tell they were not students, teachers... nor human. He dropped his notebook, falling slowly out of his hands, and, as his instinct always told him correct, ran.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

><p>Rin didn't make it far, however. He came crashing down, the earth, the world sweeping beneath him as his ankle was grabbed and he slid back down the hall. These people… he thought desperately…he couldn't run away. Rin didn't understand how, but he could feel their presence, their auras sweeping through the air; a strange, demonic chill spilling out, creeping up his spine and making him aware of their killing intent. How were they in the school? He had thought Cross Academy had protections, spells to keep demons out. Did this have something to do with <em>him<em>? He felt suddenly ashamed; he should have known not to let his guard down. He had gotten too comfortable, too relaxed… he had nearly forgot all in his happiness at school, his new found friends… now it was all coming back to him as he continued to be pulled down the hall; those eyes, that horrid night, the death of his father… and flames which burned forever into his soul.

Rin flipped over, looking down at his unknown enemies as he attempted to unleash his leg; in the flickering of the candle, in the small light available, he could now make out the two figures much clearer than before. One had white hair and a pale ghostly face, grey eyes blinking through the darkness. He smiled a wicked smile, in his hands he held the large wire that had latched onto Rin. He had two flat horns bent down near his ears, and a tail that swiped elegantly through the air. The other stood by in the shadows, his demeanor and hair much darker; red and long, held back by a small pony-tail. His horns were small, barely poking through his hair, and his tail lay quietly behind; despite those characteristics, he looked nearly human. He stood perfectly still, hands resting lightly on the sword by his side.

'Ha, look how scared he is. Are we being cruel?' The dark haired one laughed slightly, allowing for a small curve of his mouth while playing his hand towards his sword.

The other didn't answer, merely eyeing Rin with a crazed look of hatred. His hand moved upwards, and suddenly Rin was dangling upside down, the wire having a life of its own as it obeyed its deranged master. Rin stared at the upside-down world, blood rushing to his head, a dizziness started to overtake; distantly he saw the white haired demon move closer. Rin struggled to get free, kicking his legs and reaching out; he hated to be in this awkward, vulnerable position, the demon getting closer with each step.

'Who- who the hell are you?' Rin blurted out, feeling to have no choice but to attempt some sort of conversation.

He ignored Rin, observing him for a moment before laughing; then, in a blur-like move, Rin was released, flying through the air as a fist connected with his stomach. He crashed down the hall and burst through the stone at a agonizing angle, coming to a halt and falling over in a bloody heap.

Rubble surrounded him, the wall crushed in. Yet somehow, with minimal cuts and only lingering pain, Rin was able to slowly get to his feet. He was always stronger than most people, able to withstand large amounts of damage at times; he guessed that now he would be able to test just how much, now that the occasion arose. But how could he fight these two? They seemed much more advanced… he needed…

'Tsk. I hate doing dirty work… especially having to pick up little nesciences like him. Too bad I can't just rip his legs off and complete this annoying trip…' The pale demon voiced, the wire rewrapping itself slowly around his hand. Rin noticed that it wasn't so much as a wire, but some sort of slimy plant; alive and moving on its own.

Rin was confused. What exactly did they want; who were these two? But before he could think any further, the darker one vanished, disappearing before Rin's eyes. A movement above made him look; on the ceiling, the demon ran through as though in mid-air, his sword was pulled and Rin had just enough sense to jump out of the way and dive. He rolled over and ducked as more debris came flying, scratching him as large chunks flew over his head. But he didn't have time, he was too slow, and the next attack came just as quickly- his arm was sliced open and his head cracked; he fell against the floor as he was slashed down. He lay looking up at the ceiling, blood slowly seeping from him as he took in his damages.

'Is that all? Hah, I don't know what Father see's in him...' someone murmured from above.

Rin was too dizzy to notice their conversation. He realized he could still stand, still get up… he wasn't completely out of it yet. But what good would it do? How could he fight them? But… he didn't want to go down like this. Not in this humiliating way. He didn't want to stop now…he needed… needed to…

A sliver flash made him come to. Another attack, coming down fast as Rin lay helplessly on the floor. He was defenseless; he had but one option left. An option he hadn't wanted to resort to, but he had little choice now; even if he didn't know exactly how it worked. His only way to fight… he needed to use _that._

The sword came crashing down again, its slicing movement aiming straight for Rin's face; if hit, Rin knew it would be the end, he couldn't survive at this close-quarters. He reached behind and pulled out his sword from his back; he flung it in front of his face, holding both ends and attempting to block the oncoming attack. He tried to unsheathe it…

Crunch! Something was wrong; he had felt so the moment he had handled the sword. Particles and flecks of wood started to cover his face, his sword breaking as the other bore down upon him. It wasn't his sword, but a large piece of wood that he held in front. It snapped to pieces, breaking underneath the pressure and leaving him with a feeling of confusion as his only defense shattered. And as the wood fell in front of his eyes, as his hands gripped the broken stick that had replaced his sword, he saw, as though in a different time, a moment he hadn't realized, a memory erupting to his mind by force. …how could he not have seen?

'_So Rin… how is school going for you hmm?' Mephisto asked, carefully locking eyes and pouring a drink for the two of them._

_Rin didn't answer, staring at Mephisto's cup with shock . He apparently liked his tea with lots and lots of sugar; he kept filling spoon after spoon ,bag after bag, all the while watching and waiting for Rin to answer. _

'_Its fine, I like it here.' Rin said when the silence was getting to him and he could no longer imagine any more sugar in the tiny cup. Mephisto smiled softly, sipped his potion, then got up and started to walk around. _

'_I've been here a long time, dear Rin, longer… than you can possibly imagine…' He said in a whisper, staring out at the night sky lost in thought. He then turned and smiled, walking slowly behind Rin, his shoes clicking with each step. _

'_Your day went well? How are your friends? Do you… need anything?' He grabbed the back of Rin's chair, causing Rin to look over his shoulder, 'Really, anything at all…before you head back?' Mephisto said, an edge in his voice. Rin couldn't think of anything he needed… or wanted. What he did need was some sleep and his homework done… which Mephisto had ironically stopped him from doing by this meeting._

'_I see you brought your sword here too no?' Mephisto smiled. He stoked it lightly, tapping it once on Rin's shoulder before leaving and sitting back down in his seat. 'Careful, now; you don't want anyone to steal it, do you? It practically holds your very life...' Mephisto smiled even wider, taking his tea once more and gulping down the rest. He watched Rin closely over of the top of his cup. _

_Rin didn't understand what this meeting was about. He didn't much want his tea after witnessing the sugary mess, but out of politeness he took a small sip. Mephisto seemed to enjoy that; his eyes going wide and his smile stretching to exposed his curved teeth. With that he jumped up, causing Rin to jump as well at the suddenness. _

'_Well! I guess its time you headed back now no? Ha-ha… Off you go, off you go! You'll be tired unless you leave now. And I, I will also be tired. I need to prepare for tomorrow as well. Good luck…' He urged Rin out of his seat and lead him to the door._

'_I believe we shall see each other soon enough.' He opened the door and pushed Rin out. 'Remember, though, dear Rin, not to get too down now, and if in need, always remember: know what you have, use what you have; it will never let you down. Now, Good-night…!' And with that the door snapped shut, leaving Rin alone in the hallway, making him even more confused than when he had first arrived. He headed back down…_

How… Rin thought wildly as he came back to reality, the memory still fresh in his mind; it had only been a mere 10 minutes ago... The attack was coming through and the sword cutting down upon him; the useless pieces of wood lying around, his arms being slashed as his last and only defense gave way. How had he pulled it off? Mephisto was the only one… the only one who could have done it, and even though it seemed impossible, somehow… he had done it. And all Rin could think of, despite the blinding pain was…why?

* * *

><p>Mephisto held the sword lightly in his hands, twirling it around with apparent ease. His office dark, his black hair blending into the night. He smiled a smile, but it was empty. None of his tricks were very amusing right now... his only satisfaction in the fact that he had secured the sword. He hadn't wanted to resort to this, but really, what choice did he have? Besides, he was craving some amusement… and when <em>that man<em> finds out, it will all have been worth it.

'Don't hate me now… dear Rin. You'll get it back… _eventually_.'

He closed his eyes, his mouth forming words with odd tongue; strange sounds coming forth and twisting into a foreign language. Then, when he finished, a loud 'crack' sounded and a large chest, larger than Mephisto himself, appeared in front. It looked very childish, with bunnies and birds drawn on the sides, small clocks ticking on the top. Mephisto didn't seem to mind; he clicked open its large lock with a scrape of his nail and lifted the top; inside, an empty black hole, seemingly endless and vast in depth. Mephisto took the sword and dropped it. It fell, swooshing through darkness, going on and on through the chest with no end; Mephisto could still hear it falling even minutes after he had put it in. He waited, and then, when he could hear nothing, not a sound escaping from the large chest, did he figure it had fallen enough. Satisfied, he closed the chest, scratched the lock once more and banished it with a snap of his fingers.

Sure, his plans had been a little messed up, but now things wouldn't be so bad. Things would still work out in his favor… all was adding up nicely.

* * *

><p>Yukio was growing worried. Where was Rin? His room was empty, Mephisto's office dark… He had thought he would have been back by now… unless…<p>

Yukio strode down the hall, unaware that he could barley see through his fogged glasses, unaware that the usual candles that lit the hall had suddenly gone out; in darkness he stepped towards the classroom he had taught only earlier that day. Maybe Rin had really gone to get his notebook… either way, he had to at least check… A loud crack of thunder sounded, signaling the start of a storm. Yukio almost halted, something occurring to him suddenly. Why was he so worried anyways? It's not like it was the first time Rin had been late, why was he only now rushing off to go and find him? But even as Yukio thought this, he knew he knew the answer… he hated to know the answer… the feeling that was bubbling in the pit of his soul, the anxiousness that caused his skin to bump. Why… did he have a sense of dread that couldn't be eased, even when thinking of rational, logical possibilities? That this could all be just a misunderstanding… Somehow… Yukio didn't know how, but he knew… something was off tonight. And that was why… he knew he had to find Rin…

A shadow down the hall made him stop. A lone figure was coming slowly towards him. Who was up at this hour? Was it Rin? He squinted his eyes, straining to make anything out in the gloom. His heart pounded, the figure not becoming any more distinguishable as he moved closer. A hand reached out, then…

'Yukio, is that you?' The hand grasped his shoulder; so dark that even inches away you needed to feel for each other. 'Ah.. I mean, teacher, right? Ha-ha, its so weird to call you that…'

'Sh-Shima? What the hell are you doing this late at night?' Yukio whispered angrily, sounding very much like a teacher caught in action; he hated to be scared by Shima of all people, and especially in this desperate situation.

'Ah, sorry Yukio-chan. Actually, I'm only out here to look for Bon. Don't worry! I know the nighttime rules; you didn't think I forgot, did you? haha...Bon just went out to get his backpack he left back in the classroom… but it was getting late, so I figured I should go look for him…' Shima sighed, his shadow arm reaching back to scratch his messy hair, unsure of what else to say.

'I see… well, I'm also here to look for Rin; perhaps they went in the same direction? Maybe…' Yukio drifted his voice into silence, letting the quiet settle in.

Had something happened to them? Yukio didn't want to think this…. His sense of dread at this new information was only making him worse: his heart beating fast against his chest, an urgency of unknown causes making him want to run down the halls and scream for his brother. But his rational mind wouldn't allow for that, however; he knew better than to let his will outrun him, he knew he had to stay calm. However, one fact couldn't be ignored. Bon was late as well. Bon was never late for anything, completing tasks as they were handed; he was very dutiful. He rarely ever took side trips… and the only conclusion to summarize was that something had occurred…something had happened.

'Let's go, we can search together. We'll head down to the classrooms first, see what's happening…' Yukio said, and he and Shima headed back down.

* * *

><p>Bon was tired. He yawned sleepily as he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed back up to his room. He had made a stupid mistake earlier, leaving his bag in the classroom… which was funny, because Bon could have sworn that he had indeed taken it. If it wasn't for Shima telling him so, he wouldn't have realized at all…. He must have really been out of it, to not notice he had forgotten something so important; his homework and notes, all his special books and equipment; and usually he liked to study right after school…. It seemed strange to him… that he could have left class without it… but then again, today was the first day he had not had time after school… had not had time to do anything after school. Bon had been asked to go clean up the west-gate classroom down in the dungeons; the large potion room used for creating medicines and antidotes for exorcists… he didn't know why Mr. Neuhaus had asked him, especially since the class was far away and students didn't usually clean them… but this must have been how he had forgotten his bag… it was funny how these coincidences worked out…<p>

'Ah, well, there's a first for everything', Bon thought casually, striding down the hall leisurely while taking note of the thunder that sounded through the roof. He was not afraid of thunder, not anymore… and in fact, if he was to accomplish his goal, a little thing like thunder was nothing.

Bon slowed down, listening to the light petals of rain pelting, taking in the stillness of the night. He thought for a moment, letting his uneasiness take the form of words in his mind. Something had bothered him before… when he had arrived to get his bag… the classroom door was unlocked. He had thought he would have to wait until tomorrow… but yet it was open. Nearly all doors down in the exorcists quarters had secure locks, means of keeping people out. Bon knew first hand the measures exorcists take to keep things protected…so… why was this one left open? Huh… Bon thought of it for a moment, then, distracted by the chill coming down the hall, let it drift from his mind. Perhaps it was just a mistake? He was probably thinking too much…

Then, quite unexpectedly…

Blue. Blue light illuminated the walls around, its glow flickering against the dark, up and down, stretching from someplace up ahead. It blinded him for a moment before retreating to back to its source. Like a graceful pulse, like a slow, even breathe, it lit up and then settled into nothingness. On the third time, Bon's face lit up once more in blue, this time with fear and surprise; unknown emotions were flowing through his body. What… what was going on? Why was _he_… And then, he was running, his mind following a single track as he ran fast towards the blue light that was fading from existence, disappearing into the slimness of the dark; the light that had haunted his dreams, the light that had tormented him for years and ripped apart his family and reputation; and to appear here, of all places, now of all times…why? Hatred boiled in his stomach as Bon ran towards the source of light straight down the hall. He hit the corner all then stumbled back, ducking just in time as pieces of rubble flew over his head. The scene before him… what…

Crash! A boy flew through the wall opposite, his face hidden by the flames that seemed to emit off his body, the debris around him flying as Bon took cover again, this time behind a small pillar. The flames were small, lightly sparking off and yet casting bright light onto the scene. His body would turn blue for an instant, and then the flames would retreat and all would seem dark. Bon had to look twice before he realized who the boy was. And even then, the thought didn't fully register in his mind. He had come running expecting to see _him, _and instead….What… what was going on? What was he doing here?

Bon saw Rin get to his feet, the blue flames seeming to light as he did so. He was bloody and injured, and he held onto his arm as though it were broken. He looked exhausted… but held a strange defiance in his glare at something unknown. As Bon watched, he was sure he saw the flames heal him; the large cut on his cheek disappearing before his eyes. Bon could only blankly stare, looking at Rin with confusion; what… what the hell was he? And those flames… they were only for… only connected with…

Before Bon could think any more, Rin's head was grabbed by a white blur and suddenly he was being slammed repeatedly into the broken wall. Bon stared, horrified, sure that Rin would be dead after this… he wanted to run out and help, but his feet forbid him; the one who had grabbed Rin… Bon saw his tail and horns, his white hair and even in the darkness Bon could feel his power. He was a demon, and a powerful one too. Bon could only hope not to be noticed… let alone run in wildly with no plan. From where he stood, he heard distantly the white one cry:

'You-are-!' He slammed Rin's head with every pause, 'so-STUBBORN! WHY WON'T YOU STAY DOWN! I'll rip- you- to pieces-!' He took Rin's head further back once more, preparing for a devastating blow, 'Now come with us!' he finished with his final blast, the wall nearly completely gone in all the wreckage.

With that, Rin fell over, all life seeming to disappear as his holder let go. Bon really did think him dead as Rin lay on the floor, head completely blood, the white demon panting above from all his frustration. But then, miraculously, he saw small flames light up again, surrounding Rin's body and flickering through his hair and wounds; though they were much weaker than before, dim and feeble. But it meant Rin was still alive… he wasn't dead yet. Bon wondered why, if blue flames meant Rin was connected to his eternal enemy, connected to demons and that _other_ world, he wondered why he was glad…

Bon didn't have time, he quickly slid further into the shadows as the demon, no- Bon noticed another standing by- two demons, stepped closer to look down at Rin. How the hell did they get in here… well, excluding the questionable Rin… demons shouldn't be allowed, there should be strong protections… what was the school doing?

The two demons stood over Rin, who's flames were getting quieter as time went on. Then, the red haired one… Bon couldn't believe what he was seeing; Rin had barely survived the last attack…. The demon raised his sword… A sickening gasp of pain, a twisting slurp… His classmate had been… Bon turned his head; he couldn't watch.

'That should do it… this final blow should keep him still... I didn't think he could last so long… ha! I'm much more excited now…'

The other was silent, and without any expression, he picked up Rin in his arms and started to walk off. The red haired demon smiled, amused by his partners reaction; he looked around. The demon stood still, and then quite swiftly began emitting a chilling coldness into the air, making Bon freeze with fear. It were almost as though he knew Bon were there… and were sending a message, short and to the point; 'follow and you die'. Bon did not dare move. The demon soon left, walking slowly behind his companion and the unconscious Rin…leaving behind the massive destruction, leaving behind the now unrecognizable hallway.

Once they were out of sight, and once Bon had allowed himself to breathe, he crumpled over, panting as though he had run for miles. Never, never had he expected… he was shaking, his hands couldn't keep still… that amount of power, that threat… What-what should he do? If he goes after them, they may notice and he will be killed. If he doesn't go after them…

Bon felt sickened at himself. Was this all his goal was worth? That now, when faced with a little threat and some difficulty, he was going to back down at finding an important clue to _that man_? And what about Rin? Bon hated to admit it, but he was a little fond of him… they were fellow schoolmates, even through Rin's stupidity. What would happen to Rin if he didn't go? And besides this, Bon was a little curious as well… some part of him wanting only to follow just to investigate; who was Rin? Why was he attacked and taken away? And why… did he have the blue flames, the exact same as…? He couldn't be…

He walked over to the scene, getting up from his hiding place and looking around. There was blood smeared on the floor, rubble and stone everywhere… how would he find them? They could be far away by now; demons that powerful surely wouldn't need to walk… Bon needed to tell someone… get help…Yukio…perhaps he would know something about all this…

* * *

><p>Yukio was running, Shima close at his heels. They had heard loud crashes coming from the direction of the classrooms. This only panicked Yukio further… if Rin was down here, what was happening? And Bon too; hopefully nothing had happened… hopefully he would be able to find them… and alive, after what they had just heard…<p>

'What is that?' Shima stopped, listening to the sound of thumping footsteps coming at them in the dark, a figure barreling towards them at full speed. Yukio reached for his gun. Shima was fully prepared too, swirling out his weapon in anticipation of attack; he always carried his staff with him, just in case for times like these…

'Wait! Shima… its just Bon.' Yukio said, lowering his weapon as he saw Bon's streaked hair through the dim night.

'Yu-Yukio?' Bon panted, his face pale and sweaty as he ran up to them. He looked lost, like he wasn't in his right mind… until…

'Thank-god! I didn't know where… to find you, I was running… all over the place… looking…. Yukio, Rin, he was…'

At the very words, before even any explanation, it was as if it confirmed all of Yukio's panic, as if before… he could have just overestimated the situation… perhaps nothing truly bad had happened, that it was all just a misunderstanding…but now, at Bon's words, at his scared, white, frightened face flashing in the dark, Yukio's fear became real, and a knot twisted in his stomach that delved deep within. Something _was_ wrong…

'Two demons, they were attacking him… I don't know where… where they went though… they took him somewhere… anyway,' Bon paused. He looked at Yukio with question, and then when he had gathered himself and calmed his mind a little, he shoved Yukio against the wall and shouted, 'Yukio!…why the hell- why the hell does he have blue- blue flames! What the hell's going on? Say something, damn you, you're the teacher aren't you?'

Yukio remained quiet, or rather, stunned at Bon's accusations. Normally he wouldn't have allowed one of his students to treat him like this, but now… none of it mattered. He didn't even try to fight; letting himself be pushed and shouted at. There was only one thing going repeatedly through his thoughts, Bon's voice haunting him and every possibility playing out in his mind: 'They took him somewhere…'.

Yukio turned, his heart racing against the little time he knew he had; prepared to head off in any direction, run in hopes that he would find Rin… they were taking him somewhere; Yukio only had to guess where… he had to find him fast, or else he never would…

Reading his mind, Bon said 'You can't find him just randomly searching; I've tried, and its impossible; there are too many passages in this place…'

Yukio looked down, so Bon continued, 'I did find though…' and at this, everyone looked at him, eager for any sort of findings that could aid them. 'I figured a way to track him… though I'm not sure how effective it will be, if we keep on waiting…' Bon pointed to the floor, a little ways behind him from where he had come, 'Blood. I guess they were in such a hurry they didn't notice that Rin's blood was dripping… if we can follow it, we could find out…'

Yukio didn't need anymore instruction. He quickly rushed down the hall, looking down at the floor for the first time, and indeed, he did spot drops of blood here and there, some spread far apart so they couldn't be seen, but still, they were there. What a careless thing to do… it must be that they are rushing. This only worried Yukio further, however; if they were rushing, they must not have left the school… and in which case…

Just then, Yukio halted again as another figure came running towards him; though this time Yukio didn't pull his gun, he knew who it was instantly by their long hair and short stature. Izumo…

Shima and Bon had followed him down the hallways, scouring the floors in sight of blood. When Izumo had reached them, Yukio questioned, wondering why everyone seemed to be up and about, roaming the halls this late at night: 'What are you doing, why are you here… Izumo?'

'Yukio, teacher! Did you hear all that noise? What happened? I was heading out, and then all of a sudden-'

'Izumo! Can you do something for me?' Yukio stopped her, 'Go up to the topmost floor, find the principal, Sir Mephisto, and tell him… tell him that Rin's in trouble and has been attacked; he's being taken somewhere. You must hurry- go quickly!' Yukio rushed at her as he ran back down the hall and continued searching for blood, Bon and Shima following with him. They had no time to talk. As he turned, Yukio was glad to see that Izumo didn't question anything and ran straight for the stairs. That was one of the good things about Izumo, and that if something was important enough, she had enough sense to just _do it _and ask questions later.

Yukio turned back to following the blood.

* * *

><p>Rin couldn't feel anything. Or maybe he could feel everything, just it hurt so much so that he could feel nothing. He didn't know where he was; so tired his eyes would not open, and all he could see were the black lids of his eyes. Vaguely he felt himself being carried, up and down in a slow walking cycle. He tried to move… nothing. His body would not respond; he continued to be carried in the arms of someone unknown. What… what had happened? Then, almost the instant he thought of it, he remembered. That brutal pain nearly brought movement to his limbs just by recalling. He wanted to scream because of it… but nothing in his current state would work. He felt rain; tiny drops splattering on his face, a cold breeze playing on his skin; they must be outside. His mind was getting dizzy by their walking. His world was swirling, and oddly he imagined they were actually riding something amusing… up and down, they were not walking straight at all, they were walking up, on the ceiling, and backwards too. It made him feel lightheaded…he nearly laughed. If he could laugh. He imagined this until his mind slowly drifted back to normal thoughts…back to thoughts of reality. If only he had fought some more… if only he had been stronger… if only he had had his sword with him… hadn't fought with Yukio that time, then he wouldn't feel so bad, maybe. Strangely, thinking of all this brought a certain peace to his mind, perhaps distraction from what was actually occurring. With these final thoughts wrapping around in his brain, Rin's mind suddenly fell into a deep sleep, his exhaustion giving in and without thinking anymore, he blacked out again.<p>

* * *

><p>The rain beat down against a small isolated shack, the wind knocking and shuttering the flimsy doors. Blue light seeped through the cracks, the wood panels of the hut glowing faintly through the night; a light to guide you closer, like a calling to all who were lost. A place where surely warmth would be felt, and aid would be given by mere human companionship in such a brutal storm, in such a uninhabited place. But to all who knew what blue really meant… they would have stayed far away. The chill of pure coldness that lay just inside, the gruesome scene was one in which no mere human would have ever wanted to stay.<p>

Two men were standing, one the holder of blue flames. He was speaking fast, of an unknown language, his face was of pure blood; skin slowly coming off, his face quite literally melting away. Beside them, something was blooming into existence, like a deranged flower poking through the ground, it continued to grow in size as the man continued to speak. He stopped abruptly, his last words smothered by the rain, and at that moment it became apparent by the silence, by the blue light that had grown in intensity, and by the dripping bloody smile he gave, that the horrible thing he had summoned was finished. A large pool, filling nearly half of the small hut, bubbling with tiny skulls drifting around in place of waters, sat calmly beside them, waiting…

'Amaimon…' The blue one spoke, his voice harsh and his eyes of fire burning at the door. 'They'll be here soon… I can feel… hehe, make sure nothing happens…' And with that, he fell to the ground, a loud thump as his legs suddenly gave way and he crashed awkwardly to the floor. No more life in him than the dead. Amaimon didn't move, didn't even flinch, and not even when a loud snap of thunder blew right outside the doorway, giving him seconds of light now that the blue flames had disappeared, did he stir.

The door burst open immediately after, two large shadows appearing in the frame. One of them seemed to be carrying another shadow, and in the small amount of moonlight given, it fell upon a thin pale face half hidden by wet black hair. He was unconscious, appearing to sleep peacefully in the other's arms… until you noticed his blood stained clothes, half washed out from the downpour of rain, or small cuts on his arms and cheek, which by themselves were rapidly healing anyway.

'Ah, you're here, brother…' Amaimon said, staring at the two and then at Rin. '…no troubles then?'

'Amaimon, do I look like I am having no troubles?' Levi answered in frustration, his white hair plastered to his face, his clothes dripping slightly as he walked inside. He looked around, seeing the gateway and then the bloodied body of an old man lumped on the floor.

'This brat has annoyed me beyond all limits. I'll personally see to it to give him a taste of hell.' He walked over to the pool, then unceremoniously dumped Rin inside. 'Asmode, lets go. Amaimon, you wait here and see he actually goes down. No one wants another repeat of that night…'

'Ah…' Amaimon clearly didn't want to wait around, but after seeing his two older brothers, after seeing them stab themselves quickly in the chest before leaving, their bodies changing to their original states as they did so, did he realize he had no choice. He watched as Rin sank slowly into the darkness.

'That should be good enough…I want to eat something now…' Amaimon said quietly after waiting only a few seconds, looking at Rin disappearing slowly into the pool.

'Ah… I wish I could have fought him… oh well… maybe father will let me later…' He giggled at the thought, then turned once more to give a final look on the scene before leaving; he too stabbed himself in the heart, making sure the body he borrowed would die afterwards…they were to leave no traces, no witnesses behind. His body fell soundlessly as he departed, the pouring of the rain now thumping down harder than ever on the thin roof. With the gateway still bubbling, and Rin's head finally going under, the tiny shack which held such horrors fell once more into a eerie silence, awaiting a time when an unlucky soul would stumble upon four dead bodies and a bloody sight.

* * *

><p>Shiemi let her hand run against the wall, walking slowly and feeling her way towards her destination. It was the middle of the night, and usually she would be asleep at this time… however, she had gotten a message from Izumo, and Rin was in trouble… she needed to help…in anyway that she could. Shiemi often felt like she was a burden, often feeling like she couldn't help…only letting people down…Izumo especially seemed to think so at least. Rin had made her feel differently though; Rin was her friend, he always supported her…and now that he was in trouble, she had to help. Izumo had strangely, for the first time, asked for her to help… Shiemi didn't believe she would have wanted her to help though, but that didn't matter now...<p>

Footsteps came rushing towards her; she could make out three shapes distantly running down the hall. Izumo had said Yukio and the others would be around here…

'Yuki! Is-is that you?' Shiemi hesitantly asked through the dark, walking slowly towards the shadows. It seemed to work, and the figures stopped running and approached her near the wall.

'Shiemi? Why-why are you up as well? Does no one follow the rules anymore! Why is everyone running the halls, especially in this emergency? …never mind… there's no time now… Shiemi, go back, its too dangerous out here.'

'Yuki! Rin's in trouble, I have to hel-'

'No Shiemi! Please, go back and stay hidden. The walls have been breached, there could be many demons around, we don't yet know of the full situation. I don't- I don't want you to get hurt, Shiemi…'

'Yukio's right, Shiemi, this is too much for you…' Shima solemnly agreed, Bon nodding slightly before staring around again, looking for more blood.

'But I…' Shiemi didn't know how to voice herself. She didn't want to listen to them, no matter how good their intentions were, no matter how much she wanted to listen to Yuki's advice, she _knew _what she wanted and no amount of persuasion could ever stop her. She knew she had to go help Rin …

'Shiemi, go back now!' Yukio yelled behind him as he ran away, Bon and Shima following. She fell into silence, staring at the place they had left, their figures growing smaller the longer she waited. But Shiemi didn't have to think long. Go back? She never would.

'Sorry Yuki…' she said, and she too ran after them through the dark, following silently behind their backs unheard and unseen, going to help a Rin who's whereabouts and predicament she did not know…

* * *

><p>Izumo ran up the last flight of stairs, heart racing and not knowing what was happening… all she knew was that she had to find the principal, and so far the pathway to him seemed right. Izumo had not seen the principal, nor knew what he was like, but by the looks of the areas around, she was starting to think of him as some sort of crazed grown-up child… she really didn't know what to expect of him. Could such a childish person really help? How was he in charge of such a prestigious school? But she didn't think of it further as she reached the final hallway, staring down at Mephisto's office, ready to go ask for his help.<p>

A thought occurred to her right then, stopping her immediately from charging, a slow realization coming as she looked at the darkened area in front of her. Why would he be here, at this hour anyway? Did he even sleep here? Of course not. Why would he sleep in his office? She felt like an idiot, all of a sudden, for only noticing now such an obvious thing. If she let the others down… it would all be her fault.

Izumo stepped up to the door anyway, deciding its best to try than not at all. It was dark in the hallway as in the office; no doubt no one was here. But she knocked lightly anyway…

No surprise, there was no answer, even after repeated tries. She reached for the doorknob… shocked a little, it started to turn. Izumo pushed open the door gently, making her way inside.

'He-hello?' Izumo called into the dark, seeing distant, strange shapes all around in the large, empty room. Toys peeked out at her, from all angles eyes followed her every move. She really didn't want to stay long in such a creepy place… especially at night. She walked a little, looking around for anything at all that could help her, perhaps directions to the principals real whereabouts…

Izumo tripped. She stumbled, loosing her footing on something large laying on the floor. Looking down, she stifled a scream and ran back out the door, heart pounding through her chest as she did, slamming the door shut. Never had she expected to see that, that lying on the ground… a body staring up at her with blank eyes… a young man dressed in old attire…seeming as peaceful as if he were simply asleep. Was the principal dead? Was that him? Izumo didn't know. She ran back down; this was too much, the principal was either dead or not there… either way, she would go back to find Yukio, tell him what's happening… She ran back down the stairs…

* * *

><p>The more time passed, and the more Yukio followed the blood- slowly realizing that the trail was heading outdoors- only proved to make him run faster and remind him of the urgency of the situation. If outside, they could be anywhere, and since it was raining, the blood would have washed away; they wouldn't be able to find him anymore… if that was the case. He hoped Izumo had found Mephisto…<p>

They crashed through hallways quicker than before, heading down the east-side of the exorcists building. They weren't checking for blood as often now, merely noting a few and then using their best judgments to figure out the rest. Finally, as what Yukio feared the most, they came to the end of the last hallway, the doors at the opposite end leading outside. Not giving away the last bit of his hope, he ran out into the thundering storm.

'Which way, then?' Yukio shouted, getting instantly drenched by the downpour, his glasses completely useless now.

There were two ways they could take, one to the left which would lead them down to the streets and city of Cross Academy, the other heading further away and into a back alley, ultimately to a dead-end. If they had come this way, which most certainly they did, then where would they go? For all he knew, they could have jumped up to the roofs and gone that way instead…it was growing hopeless for Yukio as he continued to think; was this as far as they could go? Was Rin really doomed? …would he never see his brother again?

'Wait!' Bon shouted after Yukio, who had suddenly started running off to the right. Who knew if he was going the right direction, who knew if he was running after a hopeless cause… but all Yukio knew at that moment was that he couldn't give up trying, not after he had chased his brother all the way here. It was almost like his last great effort… the first and last time he had ever felt so strongly, or wished so deeply that he could change the present; his feet running through the mud, every ache in his body devoted to keep him going…to keep running down the lane to the very end… and every particle of his mind working to hope that he could still find him, hope against his usual pessimistic thoughts and doubt that always told him no.

Bon and Shima followed behind him sadly, feeling deep in their hearts for the loss of Yukio… and themselves; Rin was really…

Up ahead, Yukio spotted a small shed; it was a place for exorcist tools and small items… like a storage. However, that wasn't what made Yukio head towards it at full speed. The entire place… gave off an strange feeling, and Yukio rushed to its doors, feeling certain, for once this night, that this is where Rin had gone… giving him both a sense of dread and anticipation as he approached.

He kicked open the door, gun pulled out as his stepped into the small, dark cabin. But what sight he came to behold, Yukio wasn't entirely sure. First he saw bodies, and blood against the walls; distantly he heard Shima and Bon gasp at the grotesque scene. But what had caught his eye the most, from the moment he had first entered, was not the four dead bodies bleeding helplessly against the ground, but instead it was the overly large pool full of skulls and horrible faces; the Gehenna gateway…and the only possible path between the two worlds. Yet even as Yukio watched, it was slowly disappearing… the gate slowly fading from existence… Rin had gone down… there was to be no doubt.

'You can't…' Bon held onto Yukio, knowing what he wanted to do, knowing what the pool meant.

'I'm not going to leave him behind! Rin's my brother, I'd rather die than not save him!' Yukio shouted, pushing away from Bon and running, for the first time in his life instinct seizing his soul.

Bon was screaming after him, watching in horror at his recklessness. Shima was yelling too, telling him to stop. Yukio dived straight for the pool, and before either could grab hold of him, Yukio had fallen into its depths and disappeared from sight.

'Damn it! What- what the hell he'd do that for? That- that bastard! And he's supposed to be the teacher!' Bon shouted angrily, watching the gateway fade and not knowing what to do. He felt a great pressure on him, like time was running out and he had to make a choice… a choice…

'Tsk…I hate this…' Bon muttered to himself, and before he or Shima knew it, Bon was also diving into the portal, skulls spattering as he jumped straight in.

'Your going to die! What the hell are you thinking, are you both idiots! Its suicide!' But Shima's words were heard only against the silence, against the howling of wind and rain; Bon had already vanished beneath the black depths of hell.

'Arhhg….' Shima struggled to voice his frustration, his mind working fruitlessly to stop himself from jumping too. It was pure suicide… he knew that. There was no hope for you once you went down. If you went down, there was no coming back. Shima knew the gate from his studies in class, he knew what it meant…and knew what it meant to summon it too. Silently cursing at his own failed attempts to convince his mind, and cursing at Bon for going and leaving him…

'Wait for me!' Shima yelled and he crossed over and bounded for the gate. Slowly he fell too, the current of skulls pulling him down… down…

* * *

><p>Shiemi had followed Yukio and the others all the way to the shack, and as she had seen them run inside, she too ran for it; she could feel the dangerous aura of the shed, and knew also that Rin had to be in there…. She stopped for a moment at the horrible sight of the blood and bodies, then gasped as she saw the last of Shima falling though the gateway, the gateway to the other world… of demons. Shiemi didn't know exactly what was going on, but she knew…she knew the others had gone down … and that Rin was down there as well, for whatever reasons… Shiemi didn't need to think about this decision either… she would help Rin, no matter which world he were in, no matter if she died trying. Rin was an important friend to her… one of her first friends she had ever made.<p>

Shiemi ran, a small blonde blur as she crashed into the pile and swam downwards… who knew where they were going…

* * *

><p>Izumo had found Yukio and the other's location; outside in the east-gates of the exorcists building, down an alley and inside a small shack. She had sent her wolves out to search them, and they had come back rather quickly, reporting that Yukio had entered the small cabin...<p>

Izumo ran outside, the rain pouring down and drenching her black hair so much so that she couldn't see. She ran down the lane, the hut slowly coming into view as she sloshed threw the giant puddles and dirty mud. Oddly, she saw Shiemi up ahead, opening the door and entering. She hurried and ran faster.

The moment Izumo flung open the door, Shiemi could be seen going down through the skulls of a horrible gateway, her kimono of flowers contrasting greatly against the black. But too late, Izumo couldn't save her… even as she reached out her hand, even as she ran forwards and tried to pull her out, the pool vanished before her eyes, leaving with no traces as though it were never there, as though Shiemi had never existed there. Izumo fell to the ground, falling through where the pool had once stood, staring blankly with eyes of disbelief; she did not want to believe... she did not want to come to terms with the fact that all her friends had gone… surely they would die…down there. She would never see them again… for they had traveled… to the other side, the gateway Izumo knew about from her textbooks… it was a place no humans could ever survive… the very birth-place of all demons themselves! What- what should she do? Izumo sat there for some time… in darkness, in the storm, in the blood and other bodies in which she took no note of…

* * *

><p>Yukio felt himself swept up in the darkness… through his glasses, he could see nothing. It were as though he were traveling through time and space, his stomach feeling sick from moving so much, tiny hands slowly grabbing him and dragging him deeper.<p>

'Wait for me, Rin…' Yukio said as he sunk down further, his feet feeling no end, his mind trying to shut out just what he had done… and where… exactly he was headed for...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

><p>The world was cloudy, and a strange-felt wind brushed his hair. Yukio lay still, face staring into the ground, his arm bent at an threatening angle. He turned his head, looking sideways through the void, feeling the area in search of his glasses. He found them quickly near-by… they were cracked. Closing his eyes, he breathed in slowly, not yet wanting to know of the situation he was in; he couldn't stop his racing thoughts, or the frantic beating of his heart against his chest. He didn't know where he was. For a moment, he didn't know <em>who<em> he was. He almost willed himself to believe that he were simply in a dream, as though he were merely waking up for the first time in his existence. His mind turned as he remembered… the events that had transpired; it felt as though they were of ancient times… a memory not of his own, but the one called 'Yukio'; a name distantly heard, and in his hazy mind, barely recognized. His head spun as he attempted to stand.

Where was he? Yet Yukio didn't need an answer… he knew… by the dense feeling in the air, the darkened sky and the crumbling of all things around him… he knew where he was, and a sudden wave of fear spread through his body like that he had never known, and he took in his silent surroundings.

He was alone, it appeared, in some sort of city. More specifically, he had landed in some sort of abandoned street-way. Where was Rin? And…was this really the demon world…? Yet the more closely Yukio looked, the more he saw how much it wasn't like a normal city at all; the ground was made of dirt, large, surely demonic, plants grew out in the most random places, spiraling upwards in a vicious dance; he was glad he had landed a good distance away from them. One single mountain could be seen in the background, through the fields and plains of buildings and towers; nearly all were cracking and made of black mud, or at least, a substance that looked close to it. Everything was placed chaotically side-by-side, the engineers not caring much about their jobs, it seemed, and building only for the sake of building. Some structures looked rushed, as if to place it quickly…. Yukio didn't understand, but then… he suddenly realized, he suddenly... the demon world was exactly like the myths had always told; a mirror of the world above. This world…it was the perfect example of a mirror; a completely opposite existence to the one above. If Yukio had to guess, he would say that demons had probably progressed along-side humanity; from large packs, small villages and towns, to finally ending up in a city. Perhaps even they had replicated humans in the idea of a modern city, it was the only way they could have come this close in design… but Yukio had to say, that such a modern city… he saw just how barbaric it actually looked. One could have been fooled if they merely saw it at a glance… perhaps the city was just ancient ruins…but upon seeing it first hand, after seeing it up close, as Yukio saw, one could tell…the traces of marked differences, the traces of demons themselves. The buildings around were the crumbling replicas of the upper world, but the demons had noticeably gone down their own path in the idea of a 'society'. The world as he knew it was gone, and it was replaced by…

He looked down the street ahead. It was pitch black… yet the blackness was not caused from the dark scene, and was more like the blackness was a moving, living organism. Even as Yukio watched, it weaved in and out, showing the area beyond and then shutting it out again. Almost as if it was calling you in…an irresistible lure of curiosity to what lay ahead… He shivered. And why was it so quiet? If he had landed in the middle of a city…

He stopped; a shuffling sounded nearby, a slight groan. He strained his ears, waiting for more. A sudden movement, a black mass that was hidden by the dark shifted beside him. Through his cracked glasses, he saw… Another shape emerged to his right; it was standing, slowly getting to its feet…. A light cough from behind made him jump. He turned…

'Yu-yuki!' Shiemi choked, the air surrounding her full of dust. Her blonde hair was now matted with dirt, and her usual bright kimono had turned to a grey. Yet still, through the darkness, Yukio could see her normal sunny smile, as if everything were fine and they were simply out for a stroll in the garden. Yukio couldn't suppress his shock at Shiemi's arrival.

'Sh-Shiemi! What on earth are you doing here… I-I thought I told you to-!'

But just then, overlapping his concern of the appearance of Shiemi, Yukio was interrupted by more coughing, and the two shadows beside him were getting up. Yukio now knew… by the ones striped hair and the others shiny pole…they had all jumped in after him. Yukio didn't expect…

'Geez, Yukio, you didn't think we'd let you go alone now, did you? Honestly, what would you do without us, huh? The _best_ students in your class!' Shima smirked as he stood up.

'What are you going on about, Shima?' Bon glared, getting up and dusting himself off; clearly he wasn't in the mood for jokes. Bon looked towards Yukio, then slipped off his backpack, letting it drop to the ground.

Bon was angry, Yukio could tell by the furious look he threw him; the flashing of his eyes and the burrowing of his brows. He walked over to him, simultaneously shoving and shouting:

'What the hell did you jump down for? Do you realize what you've done?' Yukio looked away, and Bon continued furiously, 'How are we supposed to get out, exactly? Do you even have a plan?'

Yukio stared at the ground, every second that passed with no answer causing him grief, and he…Bon pushed him to the ground in his rage.

'That gateway only opens for one damn person, and I'm sure you know who that is! You… this mess we're in; you've killed us all, you realize that don't you?'

'I…'

Yukio was at a loss for words. Everything Bon had said was true. Yukio had jumped down not even thinking what was to come next, not even thinking about how he would get back even if he _did_ find Rin… and now, his students, friends, had followed him down in his rash decision. Yukio hadn't thought they would, but Bon was right. It was his fault… if he hadn't jumped down, the others wouldn't have followed…

'That's enough, Bon… look, we each made a choice, did we not? When we jumped down, it was our own decision. It's no one's fault but our own…Besides… now that we're here, not much use in fighting. All we can do is try our best to survive…. We made it through the gate, didn't we? And somehow we're still alive to talk right?... Though, I do have to wonder, Shiemi… how did you get here? Don't tell me you-'

But Shiemi only smiled and said, whilst a small amount of tears rolled down her cheek,

'I followed you from behind…I couldn't leave Rin… even if you tell me not to go…'

Shima sighed. Of course, since the two had first met, they had been good friends…Shiemi would want to help Rin too… but would she be able to handle this? Well, actually, would any of them_ really_ be able to handle this? Shima didn't like to admit it, but he was afraid, scared. Since he had woken up, he had felt paler, shakier, and his mind was anxious to find a way out, a way to live and take back his bold actions from before. And even through his mentions of survival…Shima was not an idiot. He knew where he was, and what he could be expected to face; certain death. He was in the middle of the demon-infested world, right at the heart, the very center, the birth-place where every possible demon alive existed and called home to; how could any of them possibly survive? It was foolish to even think of it. This, his last stupid decision, would cost him his life. He always put on a show of strength, always laughed and tried to remain calm… but Shima knew… he knew quite well that they were all screwed. There was no hope. They would all die here… it was only a matter of time.

'Well, what are we supposed to do now? This place…' Bon looked down the street, a shiver chilling down his spine, the black mist ahead forming and deforming. Bon was still angry, but he knew that Shima was right. He was only angry at himself… It was his choice to run after Yukio. It was his choice to drop down here. It was his choice to die without getting any stronger, without completing his mission. Even Rin was no where to be seen… a useless journey… but what could he do about it now? Yet even while thinking of all this, Bon also saw… that right now, there was an even more pressing matter to be dealt with, and his face paled as he lifted his arm. He looked back to Yukio, and with troubled expression on his face, he shook,

'We're dying down here, in case you didn't know?'

Yukio, as well as everyone else, looked to where Bon was pointing. On his arm, no… on his whole body, Yukio could see tiny black specks floating off and swirling into nothingness. He looked to the others, then to his own body; it was the same, black flecks of snow lifting slowly into the sky… it almost looked like fire… as if they were burning just by being here, their ashes flying off into the suddenly cool air… like they were dissolving…. They really were dying down here; slowly disintegrating into the atmosphere. Yukio, seeing this phenomena, realized it was exactly like how demons couldn't survive in their own world. They had to possess to survive… but Yukio and the others had come straight down, straight into the air of the demon world. It was no wonder this was happening… humans could not live with demons, just as demons could not live with humans. Yukio wondered how long they had, before…

A shriek of laughter rang down the street, startling everyone by its odd mirth, by its random nature at such a situation. Shima was crying, in a fit of hysteria, a screeching high-pitched laugh made only more odd by his straining vocals; everyone stared. Shima had lost it.

'Oh god, we don't even have five minutes now, do we? Just what you'd expect. This is great, GREAT!' Shima shouted at the top of his broken lungs, to the world, to the quietness, surely waking up every demon in the neighbourhood by his outburst. He didn't know what he was doing. He had lost control, of everything. He had felt something inside him crack, something at the knowledge that they were dying by the _air_, and not demons, not anything else, and all he knew now was an insane panic that all really _was _hopeless. Shima had known it before, but now…now!

'We're all going to die, and there's nothing we can do! We're all going to die, Shiemi, and there's no hope for anyone; no one can help us now! Rin will die, I will die and we'll all die by the ******* air! But lets not forget about the hoards of demons who will eat us first! There's no- '

_ Slap!_ Shima stood where Bon had hit him, stunned, his cheek slowly turning red. He didn't look up, continuing to stare at something in the distance.

'Are you done yet?' Bon said, his voice showing no anger. He knew Shima too well to know this was expected. Shima, however, didn't seem to care.

'Pft. Done yet? What the _hell _would you know? This is all some sort of sick joke… tell me one good thing about coming here? Name one good thing that can possibly come out of this hell hole, because quite literally, all I see here is a painful death in a world full goblins who want to eat my eyeballs out! The only reason I jumped down anyway was because-!'

_Slap!_

'I said, are you done yet?'

'Shima, Bon, enough!' Yukio tried to interject, fighting his way between the two, watching as Shima exploded inwards as he pushed him aside,

'And I said, why don't you just-!'

'Stop IT!' Shiemi yelled, her tears consuming her and her arms covering her face; she had been crying the whole time, all while watching everyone shout. And although her voice was no where near as loud as Shima's, the very fact that Shiemi had yelled at all shocked everyone into silence. They stared.

'It's not the time… to be fighting with each other. Rin needs us to help, no matter how hopeless it is, we all came here….We came here to help Rin. Rin's our friend. It doesn't matter if we can't survive, we knew that when we entered…but… at least, we came here to try...' Shiemi finished solemnly, sniffing quietly while rubbing her eyes beneath her kimono.

Yukio felt Shiemi's words sting him. He had to find Rin… why was he standing around, dealing with fights, worrying about death, worrying about time if he had such a short amount anyway? It was strange, how Shiemi, how one person could completely turn the tide of everything. How one person could remind him of his purpose again, when just a moment ago he had felt so utterly lost. He had to find Rin…

Shima calmed himself, breathing in slowly, regaining his composure. Hearing Shiemi's words allowed himself to think, for once; he felt ashamed, all of a sudden… his words were the pathetic words of a coward, all of a sudden. Shima didn't mind being a coward, if it saved his life, but then, why did he come down in the first place, if he were only out to save his life? He closed his eyes. Sure, he had come down because Bon had come down…because he didn't want to leave his best friend in a world of monsters… but if that were it entirely, Shima would be lying to himself. He too, felt an attachment to Rin, and he too had wanted to help, even if it meant coming here. Shiemi had oddly reminded him…of that…

Bon looked towards Shima. He had calmed down, for now, it seemed. Shima always panicked when things got out of hand; if he were tied down, with no means of escape… if he ran into a wall and realized he was doomed, he would panic. Bon knew from all the times he had spent saving him in missions. Shima was definitely not a risk-taker, and most certainly he always looked to the more realistic outcomes. It was a wonder he even dropped down. In a situation like this, he was bound to freak out. Bon himself had freaked out. Shiemi, as odd as it was, seemed the most calm out of any of them. Sure she cried, but not for herself or her own safety. She had stopped them all from fighting, regained their sanity. She helped them remember why they were here in the first place…. Bon then realized… how valuable she was in coming here; how lucky they were she had followed...

'Where then… do you think Rin is?' Bon asked quietly, bringing everyone out of their thoughts.

Yukio, Shima, and Shiemi, however, all knew, as if some force greater than themselves told him so. Yukio before had thought it a mountain… but clearly it was different from any usual mountain. In the far off distance, it loomed over the city, and Yukio could see tiny windows swirling around in a pattern; many structures built into it, climbing higher and higher, and even though the tower was relatively far away, Yukio could tell its height, its elevation, was not to be taken lightly; if there were ever a ceiling in the sky, it would have gone over. Something seemed to be emitting, a black haze that spewed lazily to the air around it, a mist which spread to all and nearly hid it entirely from view. Out of all the buildings around, it was the purest form of craftsmanship and ability, every ounce of it nearing perfection; there were no cracks, no mud, and the buildings they stood next to looked incomparable to it. And as strange as the thought was that suddenly came to him, Yukio felt something… it looked so similar to… only a more massive version of… he didn't want to even make the connection, but he couldn't deny the longer he stared; the tower looked just like Cross Academy. The arrangements and construction that made up the school was the same; even near the sides, supposing the exorcists section, looked like the exact same positions. One might have thought at a glace that it was just a large, circular, overly-clustered tower, but then again, the same was often said about Cross Academy. Yukio didn't understand how such a thing could be possible, how they could be so alike, yet exist in two different worlds. One thing he could be sure of, however, just simply by its enormous size and fearful presence beyond anything else in the city, that this tower, this castle, belonged to one person only.

'If Rin is anywhere… he would be…'

And in silence all four of them stared, at the impossible, at the vast distance between them and the tower, at the look-alike Academy, at its shear size and immenseness… and at the knowledge of what exactly would be awaiting them if they ever did manage to make it there.

* * *

><p>Rin's mind was funny. Just before, he remembered rain falling lightly against his skin, and the lighting that had flashed through his eyes. Yet now… now he felt rocks, rough and scraping his hands, slid and move beneath him as he was dragged; Rin could feel a hand on his collar pulling him forth. He could feel a wind, though it was a very strange wind; it made him shiver with goose bumps, yet at the same time it felt like a heat that was warming him slowly. His body began to ache as his mind came back to consciousness; still he could not move, not even to lift his head. All around, he heard voices murmuring, an excited buzz of talk that almost made him sick. They didn't sound human… a strange gurgle, a loud grunting, each one sounding just as unintelligible as the next. Rin wondered if he dare open his eyes…<p>

He was outside, from the tiny crack he allowed himself, he could just barely see a black bird flying across the sky. Rin loved birds, but this was the strangest bird he had ever seen. It didn't even look like a bird, so much as Rin had hoped to see something familiar. It was night…and he couldn't spot the moon from where he was, but somehow, he knew that even if he could… it wouldn't be the same. The bird that didn't have wings…wherever he was, the moon wouldn't shine. Rin didn't want to remember what had happened, but as time went on, as he continued to be pulled down a vague line of demons, he couldn't help but remember everything that had taken place. And if he was correct in his assumptions, he was not in Cross Academy anymore… he was not even in the same world anymore. Rin didn't want to think about it, because it only proved to make him nauseous and feel light-headed. How could this have happened? He was such an idiot, and now, now he was going to hell; quite literally too. What was… going to happen to him…?

He looked a little. He knew there were demons beside him… he could hear them, smell them… feel them. Just by these senses alone, Rin could tell there were probably hundreds of them. Maybe even more. When he turned his head slightly- so as not to be noticed- he could see though his squinted eyes many pairs of feet... but much more normal feet than he would have expected. They seemed to be waiting, watching eagerly as Rin was pulled down the rocky lane, taken off to who knew where. Though Rin had a pretty good guess, as much as he hated to have that guess. He didn't want his ride to end, and he somehow wished he hadn't woken up just yet; it only caused him more panic.

Then, something that nearly made his eyes go wide, something that made him very aware of time, Rin saw. His chest froze, his mind went blank, and even in his immobile body, Rin wanted to jump up and run straight at him. He couldn't move, but he wanted to… so badly he wanted to that it hurt. For he saw, hidden in the crowd, a face so familiar, a face he had just seen. Time was slowed, and for a moment, nothing moved as Rin focused on one thing and one person only. The man he saw, almost as though he were a ghost… not one of the demons that surrounded seemed to notice that tall purple hat, that black as night hair, or that curious, sharp smile that spanned across his face. Mephisto stood quietly, grinning at Rin, bowing mockingly as he looked on. He waved, as though Rin were having the most wonderful time of his life... Rin couldn't believe it; Why was he here? To have the nerve to show up after what he had done! But also..._how_ was he here? Then, Rin knew. It was as though he had always known…. just refused to believe; as if it were the only thing in the world that made sense; Mephisto was a demon too. That was why Mephisto gave off such strange aura… that was why Rin had always felt a connection, a familiar link between…. Rin dimly remembered what he had said just a short while ago, Mephisto's voice filling his ears: 'We'll see each other soon enough'. He wanted to run at him, grab him, shake him…something inside burned at the thought. But then, as though time had picked up speed, things were moving again, and he passed by. He could barely keep his eyes open long enough to keep track, to keep them focused on the hat that was getting lost in the crowd, the purple that was turning to a brown, and then…. His eyes fluttered a little, every strain of his body working just to keep them open. Before he knew it, Mephisto had vanished into air, gone, and Rin could no longer see him in the crowd. He didn't even know if that was real or not, if Mephisto had really even been there at all. Either way… Mephisto had played him like a fool. He wouldn't get away with this… with what he had done; Rin knew it was him; it was always him. And as Rin closed his eyes once more, a seething hate for the man bubbled, and whether he had actually seen him standing there and waving, if Mephisto had really been there or not, Rin would never forgive, he would never forget. He wouldn't trust him anymore…

The next time Rin opened his eyes, it was because a loud creaking, the opening of a gate, had startled him back to awareness. The demons he had passed before were long gone, and now he was coming down a stone hallway. He was inside, the halls were empty, the one carrying him the only soul besides himself; Rin realized, a little late by now, that it was the one he had fought, the one who had brought him here in the first place. He could see, in the long mirror that made up the wall opposite… white hair and a hardened expression, a plant creeping from his jacket, slowly inching downwards. He pulled Rin along harshly as though to get back at him.

They trailed through the building alone, through different sets of doors, down the twists and turns of many hallways; Rin had to wonder how he knew where he was going, for not once did he stop or look for directions; a walk of confidence that said he knew this place well. There were many mirrors hanging off the walls, and the floor seemed to be made of dark blue stone. Occasionally they would run into blue light, Rin's mind coming to all sorts of conclusions until he realized it was only a lamp. The blue flames would cast a brilliant glow, the reflections bouncing off all mirrors and almost giving you the feel you were walking underwater. Rin was slowly coming back to himself with time, and he could feel the aches and pains of his body healing. By the time they had finally stopped in front of a set of doors, these ones much larger than all previous, Rin could now keep his eyes open fully and flex his fingers into fists. If he dared, he could even probably get up and run aw-

The room Rin entered next had shocked him into silence and any attempt of escape. It was an enormous cave, the walls and ceiling rising so high that he would have almost believed it went on forever, if not for the fact he could see small glimmers, those black birds flying as though this were the sky, and they hit invisible walls as they tried to aim higher. A blue chandelier hung in mid-air over the scene, its flaming glow creating shadows where it did not reach. Most of the area was dark for that reason alone, and faces of ghostly white stood out, shining eyes that seemed to be everywhere through the pitch-black. There was a stage in front of him, hidden by darkness, and stands where demons stood to either side. When Rin was pulled in further, he saw behind there were more seats rising from behind a railing… like a theatre. And then he had the thought, a dawning of his mind that nearly made him choke, gasp-in at himself for not seeing it sooner... It was not the amount of demons in the room, it was not even the massiveness that had made him feel like a speck as he was pulled in further down the aisle… not even the fear at what lay at the end could take his mind away from his realization; he knew this room, and he had been in it before. This place was just like a gigantic version of Cross Academy's theatre, and he was just simply entering from the bottom this time. He had only been in that theatre once, during the opening ceremony while listening to Yukio's speech. But he couldn't forget the layout, the slowly rising platform of the stage, the rows upon rows lining up in the back. It was the same room, a replica of the theatre, a copy of the place Yukio had once stood… an odd comfort in his most desperate hour.

His carrier abruptly dropped him, walking off to the side and entering the front row, to where he stood beside another dressed in green…

Rin got up slowly, shakily, still getting used to moving his body, unsure of what to expect. He could feel every eye on him, watching his every move and now fogged breath; the room temperature had dropped to that of ice. Being watched from all angles unnerved him, but there was something else, something else that shivered down his spine… even enough to erase him of everything in the room, and for the moment, only he existed as he looked towards the darkened stage…

A pair of eyes met his, and Rin was taken aback, shocked even, by what stepped out from behind. A child, surely no older than five, hopped down the stage and headed towards him. What was a kid doing here? But his answer came the moment he feared it the most; the moment his realization turned to dread in his stomach and the child laughed. The child had straight black hair, a maniacal smile carved into his mouth, and a strange fire, hollow yet blue, eclipsed beneath his eyes. Something like a crown sat on his head, but it was certainly nothing like it at all; black instead of gold, with small spikes poking around the edges… it hung on him more like a twisted halo than anything. He didn't seem to care too much for it either, as it was lazily placed on, slanted to the side, and when it slid from his head and dropped to the ground like a rock, he took no notice. He walked forward with an air of superiority, and Rin could feel the coldness of a thousand knives piercing his skin, and his feet felt frozen to the ground. How could such a small form be so intimidating? But then he changed…almost as though he knew what Rin were thinking, and Rin felt sick by what he saw.

His father appeared, still wearing the clothes he had died in… his short grey hair and warming smile…the child had transformed into him. But the smile soon faded, and Rin's felt everything inside him go cold as he watched; he wanted to run away, scream... this was worse than torture. His father was speaking words to him, replaying one of the most horrible moments in Rin's life for everyone to hear…

'Yukio- the blood was too weak… Now hurry and go!' His voice sounded odd, skipping parts and broken in areas … but still… that voice; it was unbearably the same.

He then turned into Rin himself, and Rin watched, in horror as knew what was coming, as he said the worst things he could have ever said; the last words he said to his father,

'…you only don't want me around…!' He wanted to cry and tell himself wrong.

'I mean, we aren't even a real family…' No… that's not true…

'You've always hated me, I know! Don't ever act like you're my father… !'

'Stop! Just stop it already!' Rin yelled while holding his ears, closing his eyes and refusing to look; the memories were too painful.

A hand hit his face; someone had slapped him, just like his father had slapped him, and he looked up to see him standing there once more, just like he had that night; only this time, a look of pure loathing, a look that Rin never could have imagined on his father's gentle face… to look at him with eyes like that…. Only when Rin looked pained did he smile…

His father then changed into Yukio. Yukio stood, his brown hair exactly the same, his glasses shining and reflecting the blue flames from up above. He was so close, Rin had to take a few steps back in shock. He almost wanted to believe it was really him, that he was really there…standing with him; they were only at school... Rin felt as if he hadn't seen him in a long time…that they had been apart an eternity. And he thought he knew what was coming. He didn't want- he didn't want to hear this…

'I've been doing exorcism since I was six years old -clearly you never looked deep enough.' And just like before, the voice was cutting in and out, echoing around the room, repeating only the worst parts.

'What did I think? Of course what anyone would think; that I'm related to a demon.' Yukio whispered coldly, his pure black eyes staring into Rin's just as they had been that time… and just as hurtful as when Yukio had first said it. Rin prayed it would stop, praying to whom, he did not know, but he soon realized, as Yukio continued despite his obvious pain, that in Hell such prayers didn't exist; and if they did, they were ignored.

'What did you think- that I'd be happy to have you as a brother?...nearly killed me- I always knew… everyone- knew… it was only you who did-'

'I said- STOP IT!' Rin screamed once again, his throat dry, small blue flames flickering from him as he pushed Yukio in fury. But his hands went straight through, almost like a ghost, and he fell forwards and hit the ground. He quickly turned and saw Yukio smirking, and for another time, he changed…

'What's this? You don't like seeing the truth?'

A new man had appeared and stepped over him; Rin came to the conclusion that this must be his true form… and he felt disturbed as he realized they looked alike. Rin had never wanted to acknowledge he was related to this monster; to him, he had only one true father, and nothing would change that. But now... Rin couldn't deny the similarities he saw, and he hated it.

He was tall, his features sharply defined, his pale skin contrasting greatly against his black as night hair, black as the darkness itself; Rin's looked exactly the same. His horns were hidden, but his tail was flaming bright. Rin couldn't tell how old he was, but he looked ageless, like time had never worked on him, like he had always stayed the same for all eternity. And his eyes were blue, even when the fires weren't burning within. Rin's matched. He looked down at Rin with an insane smile, laughing slightly to himself as he came closer.

'Hehe… you don't want to share your memories? But Rin…' He walked ahead of him; Rin got to his feet.

'I wanted to hear you…' he started shrinking, and with his back still towards him, Rin could see he was turning into a child again. Though… he looked a little different than before…. He turned, and Rin looked into the eyes of himself… his younger self.

'Father father!' Rin heard the horrible imitation say, a panicked, high-pitched voice he couldn't believe was coming out of his mouth,

'Please, don't leave me father! I'll be a good boy, I swear I swear! Mother has left and gone to hell, brother is a weak, pathetic human being who can't even take ca-'

Rin couldn't take it anymore. Before he knew what he was doing, he was lunging at him with such intense rage that for a moment his whole body turned blue. He didn't care about anything anymore. Rin knew what he was doing; how he was making fun of his entire life, how he was using painful memories against him, putting words in Rin's mouth for his own amusement…Rin would never say that….

But before Rin could reach him, he had jumped out of the way and onto the stage, and in another act, he changed again to Rin's current appearance, and shouted:

'I want to be like him. I want to be like father!' he laughed, a very cruel smile playing his lips as he looked down at him. But his face swiftly became stone, and in a turn of darkness that killed all emotion, all his humor disappeared as he continued coolly,

'I'll defeat Satan. I want to become an exorcist…'

Rin didn't care about the cold nature the atmosphere had suddenly taken, or the quietness that had singled out all sound…. Rin didn't care about who this man was, or how powerful he must be; all he cared about was hurting him, causing pain like he had done to Rin. He ran straight for him.

'I'll-!' But Rin had barely shouted, had barely moved in order to attack, when he was stopped. The man in front had disappeared, and a cold hand from behind inched slowly around his neck. He froze.

'You'll do what, exactly?' He had changed back to his original form. 'Do you really think you can attack _me_, son? What kind of manners have the humans taught you? Or perhaps…' He wrapped his arm around him, lingering on horribly and waiting till the pause made Rin shiver before he continued, '…it was the exorcists? Hehe… you want to be an exorcist, you say? I had heard… knowing that old fool, its no wonder you turned out like this… I think we should fix it? What do you think?'

But without waiting for an answer, he called to someone from the crowd behind. Rin had completely forgotten they were there, and only now did he notice…they were watching, laughing at Rin's predicament and his memories. He had been so entirely focused on one man only… he had forgotten there were about a hundred others enjoying his torment too.

'Bring me the sword.' He ordered, before turning his attention back to Rin, 'We can finally begin, my son, to rebirth you as the demon you were… before you were taken from me…ahaha…'

Rin wondered what he meant, but he didn't have time to think. The man had rested his head against Rin's, almost lovingly, and he cringed. It would have looked like a fatherly moment, except for the fact that one hand was still clutched around his neck, and the other was binding him in a deathly squeeze of a hug; he couldn't move an inch. When nothing happened, and no sword was brought forth, and the strangest of whispers broke out around the room, he lifted his head off Rin and looked around. And he gave the coldest of stares; no one made him wait.

'Where is the sword?' He repeated.

The room was eerily silent before Levi and Asmode stepped from the front row.

Levi looked down, pale and furious, his white hair hiding most of his expression. Asmode looked calm like always, but there was something nervous about the way he walked. Levi stayed quiet while Asmode explained in a quiet voice,

'We- we assumed he would have it, father, he is known to carry it around…but it looks like it-'

'Ha… you ruin _my_ party with your incompetence? And still you dare to call yourselves my sons? If he is not carrying it now, and no one else has taken it…THEN WHERE IS-!'

But he was interrupted by a small laughter, a chuckling in the background that startled everyone. Rin was laughing, a smile for the first time sweeping over his face. He before had cursed that his sword was taken… but now… now he had something, knowledge above his 'father', an edge to use against him. He couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it all. That Mephisto had taken his sword… now it was a blessing. And for now, for now it was funny to see the man he hated most struggle in confusion. He would not always get his way… and Rin laughed darkly at the quiet wrath that had settled over the man.

This didn't seem to amuse him, however, for he pulled Rin closer by his neck, choking him before whispering dangerously into his ear,

'Where is the sword...?'

Rin, his smile fading, closed his eyes against the pain and didn't speak… for the life he had left, he wouldn't give in. He wouldn't say, even if it killed him. Rin realized the man had looked into his memories again- an idea that still frightened him- when he said, very softly…

'Wood…but where is your sword?'

'Like hell I'd tell you…' Rin choked. That earned him a harder strangle.

'Haha, but you _are_ in hell! Learn to accept it already, son, and you won't have to suffer. Humans are pathetic, worthless beings… you'll see in time. I have seen… all the time… now, spit it out; what did you do with the sword?' He squeezed his throat tighter.

Rin still didn't answer, keeping his mouth shut despite the fact he could no longer breathe. And then, just as suddenly, he was released; the cold hand letting him go. Rin dropped, instantly grabbing for his neck where it had been crushed.

'Leviathan… Asmodeus… go and search for it now. If it's a demon sword, it should give off an aura … and as for you…' He looked towards Rin as the other two left, 'Even if you don't tell me, I can see… something has happened to it…' Rin noticed a slight anger in his voice as he said this, and his blue eyes started to flame. He headed towards the platform in the dark and sat back down on his throne; half-hidden in the blackness, that unnerving chill was spreading over the scene once more.

'I guess we will all have to wait… the ceremony will be postponed…hehe, what fun! Who would have thought?'

Yet despite his laughing manner and carefree attitude, everyone in the room seemed to know how angry he actually was. The silence was unbearable, and even breathing the same air seemed like a threat. Even Rin, who had only been near him for minutes, had only been in the building a short time, knew instantly that his emotions were ready to boil over the top.

The demon lord sat, his tail swinging slowly beside him, his crown still sitting on the floor. The blue chandelier flickered for a moment, the only lights threatening to go out; the birds up above had stopped flying as they took in the suffocating air. He looked frustrated; his eyes narrowed, a frown on his face as he appeared deep in thought… His eyes glazed over each person in the audience, and when they finally landed on Rin…

'Take him downstairs… he can wait in the basement until we have the sword. …its your punishment for not telling me what you know…heh, besides… I believe some-! Ha? What's this?' He looked towards the door, a look of disbelief, confusion, etched on his face. 'Ha, it can't be…'

But Rin didn't get to see what happened though, for two guards grabbed him by the arms and started to drag him towards the side. They were going through a different door this time. He tried to escape, but even Rin was no fool to the situation. Ironically again, the sword would be the only useful thing he could ever use to fight them; after all, without it, he was just a slightly stronger-than-average human; no matter how much Rin hated to admit it, he was no match for any demon now. Not without… being a demon himself. And again, with a flaring hate for Mephisto… this was all his fault. Rin still didn't understand why he had betrayed him. He had been his father's friend, right? Rin had trusted him….He didn't understand any of it; it didn't make sense. Maybe Mephisto had been tricking everyone… even his father, into trusting him. It was true, that while taking the sword had saved him a little just now… Rin still felt that his sword _was _the reason he was down here in the first place. If he had had his sword… things could have been different. Mephisto was the reason he was trapped here…the reason he wouldn't see his friends, his brother Yukio, ever again. And now Mephisto was the reason he couldn't help but be taken down to the basement.

'Mephisto….' Rin spoke hatefully through his mind, his insides now vowing for revenge on not one, but two demons.

* * *

><p>The blood smeared on the walls and the heads of many demons lined up out front did not comfort Yukio in any way. It looked like a war zone…and the more Yukio thought about it, the more it looked as if… the demons had marked territory. The blood, and the heads of their enemies a trophy as well as a warning. It also explained the small 'flags' that they had seen standing guard of the buildings down the street. Yukio felt he didn't have to be this world long to discern one absolute rule by which all demons seemed to live by. It made him feel sick in his throat as he thought of the brutal, ruthless world he had walked into. Demons really were…<p>

Yukio and the others had decided to move out of sight; even if the air was killing them, it hadn't done so yet, and they didn't need to be out in the middle of the street for all to see. Yukio didn't know if demons moved more during the night or day (if there even was a day, as all Yukio had seen so far was darkness); the rules had changed, things were surely different in this world...but still, he thought it best to find a safe spot for the time being. From there, they could go over what they were to do from now on.

He pulled his gun as he entered the doors inside the nearest house, fully prepared to kill anything that moved. However, the room was empty. Filthy and full of dust, but otherwise clear. There were more rooms to be searched upstairs, but for now they would just stay quiet. He began to draw markings on the floor, his skills in magic circles coming into use. He would make a barrier around the room, keeping them safe for a while… He was actually surprised when it worked too, he thought maybe their might be a problem with it…

They all filed into the small area, Shima being depressed and sitting in the corner, Shiemi looking worried and scared, and Bon searching through the room with his eyes, trying to find anything useful, anything at all to help them live. Then he remembered.

'Oh! I forgot, in my backpack…! I had some books on… maybe they can-!' He stopped speaking when he had opened the bag, and everyone looked around.

'What's wrong?' Yukio asked, for Bon had a look of shock, then a frown on his face.

'It's… it's not my bag? What the…' And he un-dumped the contents, and only then did everyone see. Because for an ordinary backpack… it sure contained a lot of …and every singly item, was…

Yukio didn't want to believe it… how could something like this be possible? There was no way. ...Wasn't it-wasn't it _his_ choice to go down? Did he not do that himself? Same as the others… It was impossible, someone couldn't have…

'Bon, how did you leave your backpack in the classroom again? What happened?' He didn't want to believe … his heart was racing as he searched through his memories and listened.

'Actually, the funny thing about it… I could have sworn I didn't. If Shima didn't tell me…' Everyone turned to Shima.

'Shima?' Yukio questioned, his response was the only hope against his fears…

He sighed. 'This is troubling… because Mr. Neuhaus told me about Bon's bag right after class. But I didn't have time to tell him until he returned later. He disappeared, he was doing something… don't know what though.'

'I was cleaning the basement classrooms… he had asked me to. The bastard! He set us up, didn't he?'

'Mr. Neuhaus? No…it wasn't-' But Yukio was already fitting the pieces together, his brain working over-time to think of anything, a loop-hole around the glaringly obvious answer he didn't want to accept; the only thing that made sense. He thought he knew, but… how? And with everyone? It couldn't be possible…

'What was everyone doing anyway? Shiemi… how-how did you come to know of Rin?' Yukio had wanted to ask this before.

Shiemi had been quiet all this time, listening to the others talk. At the question, she stammered, 'I got- got a message from Izumo… she wanted me to help. She told me where you guys were heading, and what had happened to Rin…'

'Wait a minute.' Yukio had noticed something odd. 'What did Izumo say, exactly? And how did you get the message?'

'Oh! I got it on here, see? She sent a summon…' She reached inside her mysterious kimono and took out a small envelope. She read aloud:

_Shiemi! I need your help! Rin's been taken, he's been attacked! Yukio is headed after him, he is headed towards the east side of the exorcist's section. If you go now, you can intercept. Please, Shiemi, as a friend of mine… Rin needs us!_

Yukio had to smile. He knew now…it was perfect…too perfect. It revealed what had happened very simply, and yet had enough information not to be suspicious. He wanted to ask what kind of summon, but he thought he knew anyways. The wolf-spirit demons were common enough; it wouldn't have been hard for someone with skill to call one. And of course, Shiemi would have been sucked into a message worded like that. Izumo never called on others for help, and especially not from someone like Shiemi…as her teacher, Yukio knew that best. But Shiemi, being oblivious to her own desperate desires for friendship… he had used that… to his advantage. Shiemi would have listened to a message like that, with Rin being in trouble, and Izumo calling her a friend… it was the only flaw that finally made him see…

'Everything leads back to him...the principal…Mephisto; everything started with the notebook…' Yukio revealed, feeling angry that he had let himself fall into his trap. 'It was the reason Rin went to the classrooms in the first place; and Mephisto was the one… who told me to tell him; he called me to his office… it was late, but he said he needed to speak with Rin. That's when…' It was all falling into place, and Yukio understood. 'Mr. Neuhaus had stopped by randomly, and he mentioned that Rin had forgot it. He must have stolen the notebook, planted it there…Mephisto…he played that so well, no one could have guessed… Mr. Neuhaus must have been his pawn…'

'What? But how could he have known that we'd go after him? And didn't we all meet up by chance? Didn't we all choose to…?'

'Weren't you listening, Shima? The whole night was planned. Even the location of where Rin would be attacked. Rin could have chosen not to get his notebook from class… I could have chosen not to jump in- you could have chosen not to search for Bon after he was late…but the fact is, we did. Mephisto had known us all, he knew where we would move. He set us up so we would cross paths…I was wondering why everyone was up... He even-' Yukio looked down, unable to believe he could have been manipulated to this extent… 'He even knew of my fight with Rin, and my thoughts for him… as a brother. He used that to predict what I'd do….'

'But what about Izumo?' Bon asked, confused, 'She should have come too then, shouldn't she have? She was out;if he really planned it... But she went to find help, so he didn't predict that, did he...?'

Yukio hadn't thought of that. Why, then, had Izumo not come down with them as well? Did he fail at predicting her movements? If she had been out that night as well…. Maybe he did he not expect her to look for help…

'Izumo had come out searching because of the noise, remember? Perhaps she was really the only one who came there by chance…' Yukio wasn't sure, even still, if that was the reason though… he remembered she had said… she was heading somewhere….He wondered why he had not questioned her before…

'What…' To Bon, it didn't make sense. 'Does he want us all to die? What sort of crazy principal is this? Why the hell would he send us here, knowing that we'd be trapped? Much use these tools will be; did he really believe we'd survive long enough to use them? Just look at us! We're still disintegrating!'

Yukio gave him a look for making Shiemi cry, but still… he couldn't think of an answer either. All he knew was that… Mephisto had, for some reason, gathered them all here. For what purpose, though… and why all of them? And odd as it was, by the health kits and tools in the bag, it didn't look like he was out for them dying just yet; inside the backpack, there were different sorts of weapons, guns and knives, holy water… even summoning paper, as much use as that would be… it had everything one could possibly need for a fight… or for a journey….

Yukio felt an odd discomfort in his body; the idea that they had all come down, had all met up by 'chance' to save Rin… the feeling that he had no control over himself at all, had no control of his actions… What-what the hell was Mephisto?

* * *

><p>Mephisto walked down the hallway, memories flooding him, a ravish hate for the past filling his mind. He had not been back… in <em>quite<em> a while.

'The war is about to begin… or perhaps...' He laid his hands on the door, his smile curving upwards, 'It has already started?...' His eyes glowed bright.

'I'm excited.' Mephisto whispered darkly as he strode into the room, towards his father, and into the crowd which couldn't help but greet him in an uproar of gasps.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

><p>'What-what is he doing here?'<p>

'The traitor! He is back!'

'I never thought I'd see that face again…'

Mephisto walked down the aisle in stride, a quick step of confidence and a wave of his hand that made the cries of dislike, the pouring outrage against him into something of an honour; indeed, he was ecstatic that after all this time they had still remembered him! His smile would not ease from his mouth, and his heel would not lose power even as he made his way towards the man whom he hated most. Mephisto had not been back in nearly two centuries, and yet by the catcalls and curses shot at him from all sides, well, he had certainly left his mark_. _Mephisto had not envisioned his return to the castle, to the other side, so soon; he had had other plans, and Mephisto had been putting that day off for a _long_ time…until everything was secure…everything in order. However, now he had no choice in the matter; his return home could not be avoided… that man had made it so.

A grin could be seen, and Mephisto stopped short at the front of the stage. By now, the room had gone deathly quiet; the seated demons waiting anxiously, nervously, for the conversation about to unfold.

'Brother! You made it!' Amaimon shouted gleefully from the front row, jumping up and down and apparently not noticing the shift of coldness the atmosphere had suddenly taken. Mephisto did not look, his face of steel clearly not about to be broke, and Amaimon let his hand slip and shrunk back to the shadows, disappointed his brother did not wish to chat.

A wave, a shout of laughter swung around the room, the attention once again returning to the front. Quite rapidly, blue flames shot out dramatically from all sides, streams that circled the room and emitted largely from the stage; a crackling fit, a whirlwind of whips which no one had prepared for. They spiralled in a haze, one unlucky demon getting burnt to a crisp while the rest scrambled to their feet, desperate to get out of the fiery way. The chandelier above lit magnificently for a moment, the flames exceeding the bounds before extinguishing completely in a wind unseen. Darkness befell, and the whips lit the walls majestically while chaos ensued. Mephisto stood perfectly still despite one stream coming dangerously close to his face, despite the destruction that seemed to erupt from straight behind him; it amused him greatly that the order of the world could fall at his mere arrival.

Mephisto shuttered quietly to himself, odd feelings mixed within as he took in the fires ravishing about. A blue lit man walked out of the flame which had now taken over the stage; his tail whipping, a grin widening his face, and in a moment too fast to be seen, he had vanished to a blur. The next second he was face-to-face with Mephisto, who had not moved an inch.

'Well, what surprise is this, is this? If it isn't _my _Mephisto!' The man laughed a little, his eyes searching his sons for meaning. His black hair strung beside his face casting a darkened look, his fiery eyes looking beyond personal boundaries before he swiftly took on a cooler tone, 'By what brings you here… now…?' His soft voice seemed to carry all around the room, the demons behind stopping their rampage at the sound of their leader.

Mephisto smiled gladly, taking control of the situation by stepping back, pulling out his cane and walking around the room.

'No other reason than the main. How is it, now? Do you suspect me… dear father? Do you believe that _I_, of all people, would be up to something? Now, now,' Mephisto silenced the hissing that had broken out, waving his cane as if giving a lecture, 'I know how you are all lead to believe… but you shall know, I have never betrayed; I have never, for the life that I live, plotted against my fellow world. We are of the night, my friends…I am no exception…'

And in a flourish of unruly wind, Mephisto stretched out a pair of great wings, purple and bat-like, beating the air in two powerful strokes; it was as if a violent storm, a whirlwind of insanity had taken over in but a few flaps. He smiled; it really had been a _long_ time since he was able to do that. It was a moment before he let them fall, disappearing them from sight, the room a little taken by the sudden display of power. He continued as if nothing happened,

'And while I may have lived in the upper world, seen the stars, may have taken in the pleasures of man which the likes you know not of, _I am no spy_. I am truly here for the reason in which all of _you_ are here; that is, to see our youngest brother celebrate his joyous return home and birthday! That is and is my reasons…dear father,' He looked back, 'None the else.' He ended to an unusual silence which lingered over the scene.

'And if I said…' Satan began, his eyes pure cold; he had not moved from his position since Mephisto's speech, and the darkness of the scene surrounded him, 'That I don't believe you?' And in a movement too fast to be seen, in another blur he was once again facing Mephisto too close for comfort.

'Mephisto...' he breathed, ice cold on frozen air, 'Do you really think you can play me...?' He smiled, sweetly, twirling the hair of Mephisto delicately in his hand, who in turn looked as if he couldn't have wished anything more pleasurable; such was the scowl written on his face.

'What do you think of the situation before us now, hmm?' He continued to play, his eyes never wavering his gaze from Mephisto, 'The sword… what of your brothers sword, Mephisto? It has gone missing, you know… what do you think of this, hm? Mephiiisssto….' He hung on the sound longer than normal.

'Oh, I have not heard. What a terrible tragedy indeed.' Mephisto replied stiffly.

'He was under your care.'

'Yes, yes he was.'

'Why, you even requested to take care of him yourself... a rare thing of you to do...'

'Why yes, I did do that. It is rare of me.' He spoke cheerfully.

'Hehe… _why_ then has it gone missing…? _Why_ does he not have it with him?' His flaming eyes grew brighter, his voice trembling to remain soft, 'Of course, Mephisto, I have no proof,' He let go the hair, 'But do not think I don't suspect. I have always suspected you… of treachery towards me…' He paused before continuing, 'Much like your brother whom you cared deeply for…'

'Ah…dearest father… do not bring him into the conversation…else there shall be bloodshed… and settlements to be settled.'

'Heh… ahahaha!' He was now moving slowly backward, with each step the air in the room seemed to stiff, each motion drawn out as if in slow motion. He placed out his hand, and flames gathered into his palm. 'My son, how you test me, you really do... Shall I?' He wasn't laughing now, his voice pure ice. 'Shall I kill you now? But I hate to see the blood of my own spilled so needlessly…'

'You cannot kill me, father; you would not see for it so early in the game'

At this he stopped, a curious expression drawing on his face. He released his flames and frowned,

'Game?'

An outbreak, a sudden clash of demons in the back row erupted, the distraction pausing all things; the fight between them was quickly growing fierce, and all eyes looked towards the chaos. A single demon could be seen, just barely amongst the others, struggling against the waves for a chance to speak; in a hurry, he chanted savagely:

'Mephi-sto! Mephi-sto! Mephi-!' But just as soon as he had begun was he quickly defeated; his voice cutting off sharply in a sickly gasp. Strangely, the room hushed down swiftly after the outburst.

'Ah… I see I still have some… supporters?' Mephisto could not suppress his laughter; how things were turning out much better indeed!

'You have none.' The rely met his, the gazes of the room flickering in decidence on who to follow. Mephisto turned, loathingly, looking into those blue, blue eyes. He lifted his mouth,

'Of course… that was long in the past. I hold, as well as the rest of the world, no other loyalty than… whatever name you wish us to call you?'

The room was held in a breath of strangled silence, the only light source the illuminating blue that flickered against the floors, against the walls in changing amounts; the faces of many poured into darkness, and just as well that they wished to keep it that way.

'Haha… you really _do_ take me for a fool, then?' Satan said, the flames of his body rising and the fires of wrath not dying down. His ears were slightly elongated, and the amount of power his stance gave off was immeasurable. Mephisto did not flinch in the slightest, and on the contrary, held tight to his cane as if any moment he would attack. Even as a Son, Mephisto was something of a unique existence. He most certainly had a reputation far beyond the reaches of the castle, and many demons saw him as a being in his own right. He could stand on his own… for he always had.

'Mephissssstoo…' Satan whispered; he walked forward slowly, but when Mephisto twitched his cane, he stopped. 'Hehe… do you enjoy living in your castle? I assume you reside at the top, am I correct? Aha… Mephisto, your cannot hide from me!'

'In case you have forgotten, father, it was I who designed the castle in the first place…but besides that… I have something to remind of you… in _return_…' And he could not hide the joy in his eyes, the smirk itching on his lips as he said this. Mephisto noticed the distant demons whisper, out of the corner of his eye he saw his brothers shifting anxiously in apprehension. That only pushed Mephisto further.

'I have a _proposal_ to make of you… much like _last time_… you could say, that was also partly my reasons for return? If you would so kindly… accept to hear me out? We can… _discuss the rules_.' Mephisto knew, and he laughed inwardly at the look on his father's face; one of pure hatred. He would not refuse! Oh, no, he _could_ not refuse; could not because he had too much pride… too much desire to _win_, much like Mephisto himself.

A loud bang and the doors of the hall burst open to reveal a messenger, exhausted and panicked. Every eye turned towards the newest guest, the newest worry in an already stressful situation. He scrambled down the aisle, rushing, it seemed, to deliver important news. He knelt down in a hurry, saying in short breath:

'My Lord! I have… just received… word….' He paused before yelling frantically: 'Exorcists!' And at the mere word, the crowd behind grew noticeably stunned, noticeably more shocked: 'Was it possible?' they minds searched for answers; the messenger continued in his panic, 'They are here, somehow they have made it down….They must have come through the gate with the young… I don't know how, my Lord, but please… forgive me…for not getting here sooner…'

'Ah ah! What is this, this? Exorcists, you say?' His eyes did not betray his fascination, his anger mixed with curiosity, 'Exorcists… have dared to challenge my authority? Enter my domain? Who, who are they? Speak!'

'My Lord, I know not who they are… though, it is rumored one of them is the brother of your newly arrived son.'

'…'

'Well!' Mephisto clapped his hands together, drawing all eyes to him in his awkwardly cheery mood. 'It appears we have some unusual guests, do we not? I propose a welcome, a greeting of sorts, if you will; after all, it _is_ only the most polite thing to do when one arrives in a most unfamiliar place, don't you agree?'

'Haha… Mephisto, is this it? Is it?' He stared into the eyes of the messenger, his blue flames lighting the floor, casting shadows of disfiguration. 'Has my enemy already grasped the upper hand, before the game has even begun?'

'Why, I would never dream of cheating, if cheating existed, that is. Just in case you have forgotten…though I don't believe you have.' He whispered darkly, 'Our objective this time… hehe, perhaps we are only continuing from where we left off?' He swung around his hat and gave a slight nod; it was all he could amount. 'I will take my leave, now; I will go _greet_ our guests and _wish_ them well on their way.' And with that, he made towards the door, passing by the messenger and passing by the ever too silent demons; such a contrast to how he had first entered indeed.

'Brother! Wait for me!' Amaimon shouted and ran forward down the rows. Mephisto turned and faced him, a small smile gracing his lips,

'My dear Amaimon, I appreciate your loyalty towards me… but now is not the time.' He leaned in and whispered, 'Stay with father, for now, else you may regret it.' And with that, Mephisto turned back and headed for the doors, Amaimon looking solemnly after.

'They won't survive, Mephisto. Aha! Kill them... if you have the chance… it will save them from the torment that is the outer realm…and don't forget… Mephisto, to remember your own loyalties… you shan't help them…'

Mephisto looked back out of the slimness that was his eye, and said very softly,

'Of course… dear father, for they are humans, after all. Farewell, then, for now. I will be back before you even know it.'

The doorway that closed seemed to screech on forever, Mephisto's form disappearing with it. Once closed, Satan moved fast, and in the blink of an eye he summoned three rather odd looking demons before him; they knelt before their King.

'Go now... search for the exorcists. If they are still alive, bring them to me, but if they prove too stubborn… kill them. Either way, he cannot win this. Go!'

With a mumbling of understanding, the demons stood and vanished as if made of air. Their lasting impressions showed too much sharp teeth and dark, pitch-black eyes which matched their clothes. They were of the night, and so to they would become the night; the search had begun.

'Hehe…' He let his flames die down a little; all was calm, for now. Mephisto could not out do him this time, no matter what he was planning. He walked back to the platform, clearly not in the mood to wait around for the sword, but he had no choice. If Mephisto had truly taken it… he would see when his sons came back. It would be… obvious. For even if he could not penetrate that mans mind, he could, however, see his effects. He never did trust Mephisto, which was why he had rejected his offer weeks ago. No, he would look after his son himself, not let him fall under Mephisto's cunning guidance. He would not let things crumble like so long ago they had! It really _was _a continuation… the game had never really stopped…. And if Mephisto, his son, wanted to complete this dangerous match… by all means, he would let him. He too was itching for some fun… some revenge!

'Come, Mephisto, let us see what you can do…' And the blue lit hall flared once more in fury.

* * *

><p>Yukio and the others were quiet for some time. They were still in the house, no more than a few hours had passed since they arrived. Yukio seemed to flinch at every possible sound, Shima was trying to find some sort of peace, and Shiemi was looking on while Bon searched through their supplies for anything they could use, anything to stop the progression of their doomly states. They had tried holy water, which had worked to a certain limit; the fires upon them had slowed down, but by no means stopped. It looked like they really were going to die… who knew how long they had. Yukio tried to keep their spirits up, but even he was growing desperate. It was such a long way to the castle outside, the great tower in the distance showed no signs of diminishing. And they did not even know how many demons there were guarding it, let alone on the streets surround it; possibly hundreds, thousands… they couldn't very well just run the whole way with the chance they wouldn't be seen… and yet if they stayed around here for too long, if they didn't find a cure, they were all going to die by the poisonous air. What were they to do?<p>

Yukio was starting, with an aching of his mind, to regret his decision to come down. Could he not have found another way, on the other side, to help Rin? Could he not have- have requested the aid of the Order? No- what could they do? Nothing, really. No more than Yukio himself could have done without actually _being_ here. But what of… Yukio's thoughts went back to Mephisto. He wondered, for the last hundredth time, what Mephisto really wanted with them? Why did he send them all down here? Why did he-!

'Yukio-chan… don't you think... we should know...' Shima clashed him from his thoughts, 'We chase all this way after Rin- are you going to tell us, now? Why did all this happen? You should know- no, you do know. What is this all about anyway?'

Yukio had expected as much, he had been anticipating the question since they had first set up in the room. But now that they were here… they had a right to know. Yukio had to tell them; if they were to survive, if they were to live, they had to know what they were dealing with.

'Rin, he is…' Everyone had stopped their activities and gathered in a circle, Bon too looking curious for the first time in a while. He was listening avidly while Shima and Shiemi sat down beside.

'Rin is…' Yukio began a little awkwardly, 'As you can probably guess by now, a demon.'

'Rin is… a demon?' Shiemi, it appeared, did not suspect at all despite the fact that they had come down _here_ of all places in search of him. She seemed sad, but nonetheless listened for what Yukio had further to say.

'Yes. Before we go further, you should all-'

'Ah, so that's why he was such an troublemaker eh? But- if he's a demon… what-this doesn't make sense….' Shima struggled to make sense, 'How did he- how could he- and what about you? what- what- _What the hell_?' Shima blew out finally in frustration, the only real conclusion he could make of it all.

'I was getting to that, if you will be quiet for a moment.' Yukio too was frustrated. He calmed himself before continuing, '…Rin is... a demon who was born of a human mother…' He traced an invisible portrait on the floor, 'His father… is the demon who gave him that status. I was born too, as we are twins, but from my understanding,' He drew a line, 'I was born human as none of the demon's genes transferred to me. For who this demon is, that is why I said, this mission is deadly... and I wished you had not joined me… in this...'

Bon seemed to guess at this, and spit on the ground. Shima looked weary with dawning apprehension at what was about to be said. Shiemi looked like she might cry at the horrible news.

'Rin is… the son of… _Satan_.' Yukio let this sink in before continuing. Rather than beating around the issue, it was better to just say it straight out. 'That means-'

'I get it- if we want to find him, we have to face off with him, right?' Bon interrupted, everyone turning to look at him as he stood and got to his feet. He stood in silence for a while, but there was something on his face that looked far from panic, or even fear that one may expect. 'So what's the problem here?' Everyone looked, bemused, 'All we gotta do is find that S-O-A-B and give him the ol' one-two, right? Gotta get my revenge somehow, what better opportunity than this?'

'Ha…?' Shima almost laughed at Bon's stupidity, his false courage. 'I guess being honourably brave is overrated huh? But…' Shima looked over at Bon who glared at his remark, a smile spreading across his face, 'I guess there's nothing wrong with… being a bit stupid occasionally.'

'That's the spirit, Shima. What's it to that guy anyway? What makes him so great? We can take him!'

'Maybe it's because he's the most powerful, god-like, demon and the ruler of all of Hell and demons alike?' Shima let his smile run; Bon was slowly cheering him up with his idiotic comments. Shima knew Bon was only acting, his real sense of worry covered behind his jokes. They needed jokes in times like these. Bon wasn't an idiot, and knew of the dire consequences of undertaking such a mission. On the other hand, though, Shima was deeply amused by Bon's simplification of the matter, and if only to make him feel lighter, it had worked.

'Rin…' Shiemi was only listening half-heartedly to the others, both of them giving her a sense of hope as well as striking her with worry. She didn't want anyone to die, no, she did not believe any one of them would die. Shiemi wanted to save Rin, that was the reason she had come down. It was true that she was surprised to learn of Rin's heritage, but to her it did not matter; if he was a demon, or of where he was from, Shiemi didn't care about that. To her, Rin was Rin. She wished everyone to be safe, and for everything to work out in the end… even if that meant interfering in things which they did not fully understand.

'The fact that Rin has been taken means that Satan is making his move. I don't know what he wants with Rin, but probably just the fact that he's his son is sufficient enough. If we are to save Rin... it would essentially mean heading straight… into his residence.'

'Ha, can you imagine that?' Shima said enthusiastically, randomly; he was in a funny mood, and chuckled with laughter at the thought, 'We'll all just go knock on his door and say "Excuse me, Mr. Satan, but we'd like to have a chat with your son!'"… then we'd have to sneak through the backyard and climb up to Rin's window; a dramatic rescue! How hilarious!'

Bon cracked a smile at the thought, and Yukio, despite himself, could only imagine Satan wearing a suit and living in some normal looking house with flowers and a white fence, causing him too to laugh. Shiemi giggled and tried to restrain herself; it was odd how they made fun of such a serious situation, in turn causing them to feel hopeful that something could turn around, if only their minds believed it so simple. Perhaps they really _could_ just knock on his front door… or walk straight through his 'backyard'…

'I see its no use getting the situation around to you guys…' Yukio smiled, and the others smiled back in return. He was glad they had come down with him, for sure he would have gone insane all by himself. How funny it was that Mephisto had gathered them all here, if only for this…. Yukio had earlier seen them more as his students, but after spending less than a day with them, they were turning more into his friends. Strange, how desperate times could bring people together. They were comrades now, they were all in the same position. Sure, Yukio was more experienced, and so it was only natural for him to be the leader. But that did not mean they weren't all in the same boat; each one of them were now together in this situation, and somehow that bond drew Yukio into deeper understanding. He had not experienced this before, and odd as the given predicament before him was, he was grateful.

'I guess we need to first figure a way out of this…' He pointed to their disintegrating forms. 'If…wait! Shh!' Yukio had heard something, and at the moment he commanded with his arm for them to remain silent, was the moment it was not necessary; the others had heard it too, loud was the thump that had come from upstairs.

Another sound, a slow footing scratching across the floor. The house was made of a dark mud and wood, and the upstairs Yukio had not wanted to explore earlier was coming back to haunt him. Would finally their barrier be put to the test? Would finally their presence be found? They had not been in the world long, but even Yukio was growing worried at the quiet of it all. Who would they meet, if the thing upstairs (for surely it was something; no wind could make that sound) decided to come down? Yukio wasn't sure if the power of demons was the same as in the normal world;he was sure he had read somewhere that a possessed demon is only contained 30% of its 'real' power. Would they be able to take it, in all its strength? Could they defeat it if it attacked? Questions surrounded him, and again, he had no answer.

The air, the silence that surrounded them all was absolute, the creature above had stopped moving. Yukio imagined it had sensed them, somehow, and was waiting… listening, just as they were with strained ears; each on the alert for the other to make the first move. Slowly, he reached for his gun, Shima held onto his pole and Bon was mouthing all the possible verses he could think would be of use. Shiemi, as odd as it was, was-

'Shiemi-!' Yukio accidently yelled, and in not a moment after a fire of events set off and confusion took hold of them all. For one, the roof collapsed in a whirlwind of dust, their barrier completely useless as the demon jumped, tore his way down from up above and simultaneously avoided all traps the barrier possessed. Pieces of everything flew everywhere and all of them ducked for cover. But the demon seemed undisturbed by such chaos, and swung his claws in every direction, Yukio falling through a broken doorway to the side, but just in time he fired a few shots. The demon was large, with a mouth too big for its head, and sharp teeth that could probably have ripped through the entire tiny house; it was frightening; the only good news was that it didn't seem too bright, not even realising where Yukio was laying beside him, focusing only on the immediate straight in front of him; but then, suddenly, it spoke strangely, and Yukio could only stare, a little stunned, at his gargled speech. He didn't seem to be making much sense, but then…

'H-humaanss…' Shima scrambled back against the wall as it attempted to take a bite. 'H-humans…' That seemed to be the only word it could articulate well enough for them to understand. At the same time, it didn't seem to think of 'why' and continued his rampage without a further thought.

Yukio stood and fired, the sound of piercing flesh and anger that coursed through the demon reverberating about.

* * *

><p>It was dark, and the only light available was through his own flame. The small amount of fire he had been able to produce in the palm of his hand would light on and off, and it took every ounce of his concentration just to get it to that. Rin was in a room with absolutely nothing, pitch-black, freezing cold; the guards had taken him down a flight of stairs with no end, and finally off to a large, secluded doorway in which he was thrown inside. Not even the door had a window, so he had no sense of anything; without light, without time, without body, he was as if he was the darkness itself. Occasionally he could believe it too, if it wasn't for his thoughts that would eventually stray back to reality, or his will to try and produce <em>something<em>… anything to distract him, no matter how little his light was turning out to be.

An hour… two… time was wearing on. Rin felt exhausted. He had his palm held out, and now he seemed an expert at controlling the fire- one second turning his little corner blue, the next falling back into blackness. Switch on, switch off… switch on. He was being very repetitive, and he slowly felt like that was all he had done for his entire life. He didn't know why he was here. What had he done to deserve this? His thoughts kept going round and round, sometimes he didn't even believe where he was. He had closed his eyes for one moment and before he knew it he had woken to a nightmare. Did this even seem real? Somehow… somehow, despite everything that had happened so far, despite everything that had happened in his life, he still didn't believe… he still somehow did not accept the flames that came out of his body. Since he had found out of demons existence, since his father had died and he had found the truth, he had accepted it all too easily, and now he was facing something he didn't understand. He couldn't come to terms with it all, it seemed too rapid. And sitting in the dark sure as hell didn't make him feel any better. Half the time he was starting to hallucinate, seeing shifts and shadows here and there… if only he could catch them….

Ah!

The door creaked open and Rin froze. The light that penetrated his eyes was unbearable, his hands reaching out to block it; so long had he been in the darkness that any amount of brightness caused him to be blind, his eyes shutting and squinting madly. He saw two shapes, vaguely in the doorway, and by the time he was adjusting to the oncoming light they had already entered, blocking the bright with them. There seemed a large contrast between the two, one incredibly tall, the other incredibly short; one the very form of masculine, the other looking too feminine indeed. Rin almost mistook him for a girl, if not for his clothing and short hair. Rin stood, heart beating in the dark, unsure of what as going to happen next.

* * *

><p>'Hehehe… you think we will do such a thing?'<p>

'No, no, she believes it! Look at her eyes, she is full of confidence! This is too funny!'

'Heh...little lady, it is all too humorous for _a human_, of all _things_, to ask of us in _our world_ to complete your command. Why should we? Here we are your summons, here we are but slaves to your will. In our own kingdom, we will not obey so easily. We are prideful. You cannot get us to act once we leave. Your efforts are futile.'

Izumo flushed, all feelings of hope swept from her as the crackling white demons before her looked on. She had summoned them in the belief they would help her, sure that they would accept. Weren't they supposed to listen to her? Weren't they supposed to obey? Only in this-this world?

The two demons before her sat with a tall back, a kind of presence that made her feel inferior; clearly they believed to be of a higher standing despite the fact she had called for them herself. It had been two days since the incident in the shed, since she had desperately watched her classmates and friends head down into the monstrous whirlpool of an unknown hell. Shiemi's pink kimono was still spinning into skulls, Yukio's worried expression while frantically searching for his brother in the night. What if she had gone with them? What if she hadn't gone upstairs? But Izumo knew she couldn't dwell like this forever. She had more in her than to just give up so hopelessly on those who possibly needed her. Immediately after her despair and tears that fateful night, Izumo had gone back to search for the principal once more…determined to fulfill her teachers final request. At that time she had been growing desperate, the only witness to the events and she knew she had to tell somebody. Izumo had rushed for the only place she knew, requesting the help of the Council and all teachers alike. After she retold the story of what had transpired, she was immediately pushed aside: "you can no longer help", "you're just a child", or "its too dangerous". And no matter where she turned, she was told this over and over as people anxiously scrambled about. Izumo had caused a righteous panic in the school at her news, and now nothing but yelling and blaming was being done. It was then that the idea had struck her, an idea that consumed her with fire and spirit. She would use her summons and request _their_ aid. If anyone would know the detail of the other world, surely it would be them! If anyone would help her, _could_ help her, it would have to be the demons themselves.

Izumo gathered herself before speaking, trembling slightly in anger at their refusal,

'You say… you won't help me. You won't even look? They are there, in your world! How can you not...how can you just ignore my request? You can't- can't you even tell me what's happening?'

'Hehe…so it is true.' The right one, a devilish look on his face smiled, 'It _does_ intrigue us… that the humans have come down. The exorcists I mean. However, we are likely not to _tell you_…' His eyes flashed knowingly, 'even if we _did_ know something. _Unless_…' He looked at his brother, who was licking his lips, 'You can give us... something in _return_…'

The other chuckled darkly, 'We are curious for _information_ _too_… perhaps an exchange, if you would so provide? We have heard things… this happens to be the most interesting thing to happen in a while…'

Izumo looked curiously at the two. What information could they possibly want, and from her? What could she know? After a few moments, and a little hesitantly, Izumo agreed that she would offer anything she knew for information on her friends. If they would not help her physically, it was the least she could do to know what was going on.

The two demons smirked, and in unison they chanted: 'We know that the exorcists have landed'

'In the outer realm, it appears... ' One sprouted, 'Horrible place may I add'

'They are still alive, or so we hear...though for how much longer?' The other smiled showing his fanged teeth, 'Not much time has passed though. It is different' He added to Izumo's unasked question, 'Though it appears but a day has passed over here, little has in ours'

'The news of their arrival has caught wind; is it for the better or worse, I wonder?' He looked as if he desired it to be worse, 'Some may not believe they exist, many will search for them now. They have no options left…'

'This is all we know... hehe, _so far_...'

Izumo didn't know if she should breathe or not. They were alive, that was good, and her heart felt a little jump upon hearing. But the question now was: for how much longer? And how, how on earth could they ever get back out?

'Now…' The two demons got up and started to pounce, circling Izumo as if in ritual. Izumo did not let their threats get to her, standing tall and she did not flinch. They looked hungry, almost, and Izumo wondered what they would ask. They seemed excited.

'We are aware of Satan-sama's lost son. We are aware of his arrival'

'He has been brought down, at last, thank-goodness too! We all suffered plenty at our Master's unrest'

'We wish to know…' The other started, 'We can see you have a connection in all of this. As luck may have it, we are lucky to have been contracted by you! You are friends with the exorcists, but also must know _him _as well!'

'We are interested in this'

'We are interested in the young master'

'What are you talking about?' Izumo asked, unsure of anyone by this description. A Son of Satan? How could she possibly know someone like that? At her remark, the demons looked a little shocked, a little taken-aback at her apparent unawares. They smiled with contempt.

'Oh…?'

'You do not know?'

'How unpleasant…' He snarled.

'How unpleasant indeed…' The other snarled back.

They each spoke slyly, and Izumo felt a little annoyed by their constant craftiness. Why wouldn't they just tell things straight out?

'The other night...he was brought down don't you remember?'

'The boy with black hair...that boy in your class I believe?'

Izumo still felt utterly confused. Who did they mean? Black hair? In her class?

'Do you mean…' Izumo was thinking; the only one in her class who she knew had black hair, except for her, was Rin. Rin had been taken by demons, that's all she knew. That was the message she had been told by Yukio and the others. That's why they had chased after him, gone down in the first place wasn't it? She had assumed Rin would be with the others, but now that she thought of it…

'Rin?'

'Oh, is that his name?'

'So… Rin is…?' Izumo still couldn't believe what they were trying to tell her, and she looked back and forth waiting for some sort of an explanation.

They sighed; were all humans this useless?

'It is as we say. He, or "Rin", is the Master's, Lord's, Satan-sama's Son. He has been, according to recent gossip, living here in the school for a short while. It is quite well known, the story, how he was born in the upper world... by a human woman of all things. Though "how" still remains mysterious. There are though, rumours…'

'More like myths' The other chimed in.

'What? What myths?' Izumo was curious too; who was Rin? And why was such a person as him in the school in the first place?

'That is not for you to _know_ when we still have _yet_ to get our share of the _deal_…if you have now grasped the situation. Will you kindly impart…?'

'Will now you tell us. We wish to know, anything we are eager for, the information about what had passed the other night ago?'

'Yes, do tell us of that. In detail if you will; and also, what is he like? And is it true he has blue flames?'

'We wish to know these few things, and then we shall be off.'

Izumo fell into silence at their stares, at the news of this latest development. It was no wonder the Council had told her it was dangerous, it was certainly understood to her now. And Yukio and the other's situation, if possible, just became even more deadly. Izumo hadn't wondered why Rin was taken before, and only now did it occur to her that something was strange. And if Rin really was the Son of such a monstrous figure, an immortal god himself...then how could he _ever_ be saved? Did he even need _saving_? And how could the others possibly expect to win against that sort of a demon? Never mind that they would need that very demon to return home… to summon the gate. Everything was starting to seem hopeless, the more she thought on it. With the little strength she had left, she told the two of what had happened, of her being sent to the principal and finding the strange body. Of her not making it in time, and the gate disappearing. She told the little of Rin she had known, as odd as it was for her to explain. She really didn't know how to describe him, she didn't even know he was a demon until just now; her information wasn't very good, needless to say. However, the two seemed quiet enough, and listened with perked ears. When she had finished, they huddled and whispered among themselves. Izumo couldn't hear, but finally they turned and addressed her.

'Heh…we shall be on our way now. We have had a good conversation. We have learned much.'

'Hehe, yes, much.' They looked about ready to go, but their laughing faces were mocking Izumo greatly. What were they up to?

'Wait!' She stopped them, and they almost seemed to expect her to do so. Their mischievous eyes looked towards one another, their feet pawing and ready for her plea of distress.

'Can't you go and deliver my message? Tell them, please! Go and find them! Tell them I'm trying my best! Tell them to stay alive!'

'But what if we become hungry?' The other snickered into his paw, 'What if we decided to eat them upon finding? Do you trust us not to...?'

'I don't believe you would' Izumo said, a little too confidently for her place. She didn't know what their game was, but she was sure they were only messing with her mind.

They looked a little furious at her sudden defiance, her sudden assurance of their actions. However, they sighed and, a little too quickly, put on a, not-so-convincing, act of a pair of two _very_ tired demons.

'Perhaps if we _feel_ in the _mood_…' He yawned lazily.

'Perhaps if we _happen_ to drop by….' The other closed his eye.

'Good-bye now' They started to turn into smoke…

'No-wait!' Izumo didn't want them to leave. Summoning them could only be done on equal terms; she could call for them, but for a novice like herself…they had to agree to it as well. She had already used her daily call, they probably wouldn't come back for a while. She wasn't at the level she could make them come to her will any free time… her spirit had to be well-trained for that. If they went now, she may not hear from them for a while.

She jumped, foolishly attempting to grab hold of them. This only caused them to crack up, laughing in a fit. And the next moment they were gone, their smiling faces, a whisp of smoke as though they were mere ghosts. Izumo fell helplessly to the ground in their place. Oh, how it reminded her painfully of that night, of her futile efforts to grab hold of something that did not exist. Of something that vanished before her very eyes, that fell through her fingers into a nothingness. She wanted to cry out, but...no. She would not do that again. She sat up, looking around her now empty room. It was getting dark, the day almost done. She believed in them, that they would go. She believed that they would help her and deliver her message. And she could only try her best to think of some other way in the meantime, some other method to help her friends. She wouldn't give up, now that she knew they were still alive.

The door closed silently behind as she left, her feelings of resolve heading her towards the last person she had hopes for.

* * *

><p>'Haha, what does he expect from such a pathetic boy as this? I could do much better, this little brother of ours is no good for the job, don't you agree?'<p>

If Rin could have hid his face in shame, he would have; for being taken down by someone smaller than him, extremely feminine in features, was no easy thing to admit. Little brother? He certainly didn't look any older. And to top it all off, Rin was being kept down by only one foot, on his back, and he was still struggling to get up from the great pressure that was cutting off his breath.

'Yes, it does appear that way'. He seemed to be speaking to himself. Or somehow, the other, taller figure in the room did not say a word. 'Perhaps he _is_ being held back!' He stomped down a little harder, Rin being choked into his own distorted speech.

'Haha, jealous? Of what?' Again, it was as if the silence was enough of an answer for him. Rin couldn't make out from his position exactly what the other looked like, but he was standing a little ways off, his eyes glowing red.

'If I am jealous, what does that make you!' Was the only answer he could spit out.

Silence.

'What? No. Of course I know tha-' Now he was the one being silent. Rin wondered a little what was going on, his back about to break and his breathing seemed just about ready to go out.

Then, he released Rin, taking his foot off and kneeling down towards his ear,

'You are lucky, today, little brother, in that it's a day of celebration for you; but don't think you can get away,' He grabbed some of his hair, 'with disrespecting father anymore, no matter how much he favours you so. What?' He looked round at the door, the other seemed to be leaving. He pushed Rin back and stood up, one last time stomping him with his foot before heading off as well. At the door, Rin could see blonde hair, and blue flaming eyes. The other was turned away, but Rin could just make out his hair as a dark brown, and judging by the way he stood, he looked in complete control, even in his quietness.

'I hope you enjoy your time locked up, who knows how much longer the others will be? Haha,' He smiled sickly, 'But you had better spent your time hoping for your friends instead…' He was just about to close the door when Rin caught his voice and shouted,

'W-what d'you mean?'

'Haha, cannot you tell?' He looked as if he enjoyed Rin's torment of lack of information. He spoke through the crack, 'Some exorcists have in come after you, but by now they have probably been killed!' Good-night, my darling little brother… hehe, sweet dreams!' And he slammed the door after, very fast, and in a loud click that echoed all around, Rin was once again alone and shut-up in the dark.

'Damn it!' Rin shouted to himself, hating everything about his very being. He was angry that he couldn't do anything, angry that he had no power to do anything at all. They had come after him? What did that mean? How? But also, did that mean that Yukio was here...? Who else?

Rin still lay on the floor, for some reason he didn't want to get up. Why was everything so useless? Why had Mephisto done this to him? Or why had he even been...He felt a great lump in his throat, his chest- no…

'Haha…' Rin felt the coldness against his heart; he reached and pulled from around his neck, a set of keys. He had forgotten about them. Looking at them sideways from the floor, he remembered the time when Mephisto had given him one, his father the other; he tried to remember what they had said.

A little more to himself, Rin got up slowly, whispering doubtfully as if the whole world were making fun of him,

'Really…?' It couldn't be that easy.

The keys had proven useless during his weeks at school, he had no use for them then. Sure he did find it fascinating at first, Mephisto telling him he could open any door…but after a while he saw no need for it; it was much faster to just go the regular ways. Now, however…

Rin didn't believe they would work; open _any_ chest… open _any_ door, was it really that simple? That powerful they could work in both worlds? Of course he was skeptic, feeling foolish for even trying... but he had them in his palm now, how could he resist? And although he was actively telling his mind the impossibility of it, the reasons against, that did not stop the sweat from beating down his face, his hands shaking as he guided the key towards the handle- or no handle, as this door did not have one. What was Mephisto playing at? Surely they would not work, for why would he ever make the mistake of giving him such a valuable object? The key was before the door now, he did a turn. It wouldn't open! It made no sense to! It was stupid to even thin-!

Click.

* * *

><p>Time was still. The space in the house was odd, and Yukio couldn't describe it, but a heavy weight was on him at that moment, a feeling as though time really was slowed down for that instant. Yukio's bullet flew into the demon's neck, his claws now directed at him. Yukio hadn't realized he was now backed up into a corner. He had been so distracted with the others, hoping they could make it out of harms way that now he himself was in danger. The bullets seemed to have an effect, it was specialized, after all. However, it was still taking long for the effects to settle in, and Yukio was trapped by the wall with no ammo left. The demon stepped forward and lunged, Yukio ducked and tried to get away; was this it, was this as far as he would get?<p>

Small blood swept across his face, a sickly splatter that nearly made him puke. Yukio looked, he saw a blade of silver stuck out from the demon's chest. The demon gagged out red, in obvious pain, his eyes rolling backward. The blade was pulled out in a swift motion, a single pull and the demon collapsed, dead before Yukio's feet. And before Yukio could register who it was that was standing before them, a great rushing of footsteps and a tinier, smaller demon burst from the roof where his fellow had come and took in the scene. He couldn't speak very well, but in shock and anger, in both, he spoke to the bladed man,

'You-you!' And after taking a few steps back, in fear or in something else, he ran out the front door and down the street, so fast that after a moment he could no longer be seen, the darkness outside consuming him whole.

'Ah, perhaps I was a little too bold? That _was_ a tad too gory…even for my tastes.' And while Mephisto was the one who had committed the bloody deed, it was odd how he had not a single drop of blood on his clothes, even his shoes where he stood on the bloody mess, they did not stain. It was almost as if he could control his own space, controlling what lay on him and what not.

Yukio couldn't suppress his shock, and not so shocked, expression at Mephisto's arrival. For certain, he was always suspicious of Mephisto's true identity. He had always thought in the back of his mind…that thought and cloud of uncertainty. Now, it was that he had proof, yet now it was not needed; his mere arrival shining no doubt on the matter anymore. And Mephisto's sharp teeth, dark eyes, his devilish appearance...they all told the same story in themselves. The others didn't seem to realize who Mephisto was, and so Yukio quickly glanced at them for some sort of recognition. They didn't seem to get it.

'Well? Do I not even get a hello, a welcome, a thank-you; really, anything at all? My darling students?' Mephisto took a look around at them all.

Surely they looked like hell; all of them were covered in dirt, grime, and Yukio was now spilled with blood and sweat from nearly being killed. They were really not in the mood for any fancy greetings or 'thank-you's'. And most definitely not to a man who's presence and rank was shrouded in mystery.

'What-what are you doing here?' Yukio tried not to let his anger rise, but quickly failed. He didn't know what Mephisto was doing here, but wasn't about to be taken advantage of yet again. He held tight to his gun, his voice shook as he spoke,

'We know it was you who set us up; we know it was you who sent us here; whatever your game is, you can't fool us any longer... Mephisto.'

The others had the shock of realizing it was the principal, the very principal who had played them all like pawns; in turn, they each took up their stances, ready to fight if they had to. Nobody seemed to trust him. And rightly so.

Mephisto remained quiet, looking only at Yukio in silence. No smile graced his lips now, his face falling flat. Perhaps at being found out, he had become selfishly cross. Perhaps at Yukio discovering his ploy, he had gone into a seething rage. If he did, however, it was not known; he did not show any of it, and his eyes only remained cold as he stared on at Yukio. In that moment alone, Yukio felt the presence of a man much greater, Mephisto's height almost seeming to grow in bounds compared to him. And even if it was four-on-one, it only proved to show how completely powerless they were against him that Yukio felt they were all at his mercy, his whims; that now they were all trapped in a corner by a demon far more fearsome than the one they had just faced.

'I have come, my dear Yukio, to welcome you… though if you will not do me so the honour of a proper greeting… what a pity that is…?' He said this very softly, menacingly, and did not charm in the least. Yukio never before had imagined Mephisto could be this intimidating. He slightly regretted telling him what he knew.

'It is true…as you say. I see no use in deceiving you any longer. I guess I have no need in telling you of my identity? You are clever, no? You have me all figured out now, have you?' He placed the sword back in his cane, twirlling it around for a moment in thought before slamming down and simultaneously leaning on it, 'You are all here, my students, on behalf of _me_, yet why do you take the position against me? Why, I should think you would all come crawling to my _feet_ once you found out…I deserve a thank-you, at the least, no?'

'Why the hell would we say thank you for sending us all to our deaths?' Bon shouted, blurting out, clearly pissed at the principals attitude. Mephisto turned to look at him.

'Ah, Mr. Suguro, I knew you would not agree… you too, then?' He nodded at Shima, 'Perhaps… Miss Moriyama? No?' He did a sad face and sighed, 'I would think, if we all looked a little more closely towards ourselves… perhaps you can see it now?... _Yes_…' He smiled down pleasantly, looking superiorly happy at the extinguished look Yukio displayed.

Because Yukio knew he was right. He _should_ thank him…

'I guess I shall explain myself, then? _Why_, perhaps too, _how_, I sent you all here?' He stood in the middle of the room, and each of them were formed as if in a circle and Mephisto teaching a class. He looked calmer now, and his eyes were full of delight as he took control.

'It's a very simple reason; if you cannot see it plainly? I did you all a_ favour_. My dear Yukio, here, knows it, now how will the rest of you see it too?'

And each one of them looked confusingly to Yukio, to the sly grin of Mephisto; it caused them to feel sick. Mephisto started softly,

'Yes, Yukio, my dear. You could not help but want to save your dear brother…if I had not sent you about that notebook... if the nights events had progressed any differently than how I set them up, imagine how upset you would have been to discover in the morning your brother had gone missing!' He smiled at Yukio's downcast eyes, his averted gaze, seemingly satisfied in his silence; _he had won_. He turned swiftly to Bon without further notice.

'And you, Mr. Suguro, are here because you wished it too, did you not?' Bon looked a little pale, 'Your family was ruined by the Blue Night, so you sought revenge against the one who did it… am I wrong?' Mephisto's eyes burned, 'You followed dear Rin because you wanted to _know_… you wanted to further your ambitions... come closer to your goal; I simply gave you the opportunity to do just that'

When he had finished, Bon looked about ready to punch something. Yet at the same time, he couldn't, and his face showed. Everything Mephisto told him was the truth.

And again, in the lingering silence, Mephisto continued to speak for each of them, his blood rushing with delight as he uncovered their eyes to the truth.

'Miss Moriyama…' Shiemi looked freighted, 'Now...what would a lovely lady such as yourself wish for in a hellish place as this? I think you know the answer too. You too should be _grateful_ to _me_... for the message I sent you. I should hate to see a beautiful face in tears. You wished to help Rin from the bottom of your heart. If I had not awoken you to such a disaster taking place... had I not intervened and told you the location of the others, you would not have made it in time. You would have been… ignorant to it all.'

Shiemi looked ready to cry, again, but held back in sadness. She did want to help Rin, and so it was true that if she had not got the message… she would have been heart-broken. Mephisto gave her a slow, knowing nod before...

'And lastly…'

Shima here looked a little skeptic. What could he possibly say was _his_ reason in wanting to come?

'Mr. Shima, you went out looking for Mr. Suguro, I believe?…. You seemed swung in the nights events, a boat caught in a deadly storm….Nonetheless, you were an important part of the group. You were meant to tell your dear friend of the bag, set off the spark, so to speak. If you went out to search later on, well, that was entirely your own _choice_. Honourable, though, as it was for you to follow, you cannot complain now. If you had not gone down, I believe we can both say, you would have been devastated just as the rest to find your friends missing. I know you too well, my charming Shima, to know that you care too deeply for their sakes...no matter what you say otherwise.' And Mephisto walked around the little home in silence, everyone watching, waiting, his footsteps bringing meaning for what he was about to say.

'Let us go now to the next topic. I am sure' He stopped and poked at Bon, 'that you all believe', He came around to Shiemi, 'That_ I_ am the cause in you being here.' He went back to the centre. 'But make no mistake, my lovely students…' His eyes glowed dark, his black hair contrasting his pale skin. 'It was _your own will_, not mine, which caused you all to act. In fact...one could say I did absolutely nothing at all.

'Though of course…' He added softly, smiling wide whilst resting his chin on his cane, 'I _figured_ you _would_… it was a likely probability...'

'Which brings us!' He started again rapidly, loudly, leaving no room for interruption as his voice addressed all, bouncing off the paper thin floors, 'to the topic of _probability_!' And again, he walked around the home in a dance, taking in each one of them as he spoke.

'You see, it really did not matter _to me _whether you all made it here or not-_though_ _it would have been a minor set back_' He added under his breath before sharply going on, 'I simply gave you all _the chance_, the increased _probability_ that you _could_ help your dear friend in this desperate time if you had wanted to. I did nothing to prevent or push you into action. I simply opened your eyes and made your odds more favourable, did I not?' He stopped in front of Yukio.

'By setting up events as I did, I ensured you would have the chance of running across the others' He moved along.

'I ensured, by all the events, that each one of you would strike across the other. But of course…'He paused, in an apparent thought, 'it really _was_ a… game of odds.'

Now he stood silent and still, his eyes looking lazily around the scene.

'Yukio, dear, could have come down all by himself for all I knew. Perhaps only Mr. Suguro would have made it? I merely set up the pieces, it was in your position to move. I merely gave you all _high chances_, and whether or not it worked was none of my concern.'

'However!' Mephisto shouted grandly, spontaneously, causing everyone to jump, 'Now that you all are here…I am _glad_ everyone could make it…to the party. _Truly_, I am. I wished for each of you to arrive, for everyone serves a purpose in this play. And…'

He rotated his stick, jabbing it towards the outside, through the open door and into the distance, the loom, down the darkened street of the abyss,

'If anyone _can_ save dear Rin… if anyone _will_ save dear Rin…' His smile, if possible, grew even broader, and his features seemed to sharpen into fine lines, 'It will be you. That is why you are here… that _is_ why you have come, is it not?'

Yukio could see, on the faces of those around him, the looks of the defeated. On Mephisto, the triumphant look of a victor who had won the war. Somehow, though, the others still wanted to fight, somehow they still wanted to disagree… but each knew, and each saw- in painful realization- that Mephisto had done nothing but tell the truth. He had not said anything new, he had not even requested something outrageous in which they did not ask for themselves. And even if they had wanted to say Mephisto was the cause of it all, that Mephisto was the reason for their manipulation, they could not. For logic would go against it. And as much as they hated to admit, he was right. That was why they were here. Mephisto could have planned the whole night, could have set up everything in which they fell, and yet they still could not say anything against him. For _chance_, _probability_…their own _desires_ and wishes... it was all as simple as that.

Mephisto seemed to see this in their eyes, their acceptance, and turned back slowly to face them. He let his hand drop, speaking quietly,

'If you all can see this now, I will impart on you my final piece of knowledge… or first? Hehe, I was only supposed to tell you this.… my, how things can change at the drop of a die? But never mind. I only came to wish you well for your journey, to see, if you acquired your weapons… to see how many of you had made it….heh.'

And with a great surprise to all, Mephisto uncurled his demonic wings, heading with his back towards the door. No body had expected him to pull out such effects from seemingly no where. He really was a master of disguised looks.

'So if nobody is going to ask me before leaving…' He didn't look back, 'I guess I shall tell you then? It appears I have stunned you all into silence...'

And with a newly born smile on his face, he walked out the door and twisted, pointing to them from outside. He flapped his wings and hovered above the ground. Yukio and the others had come closer to see, and from above he spoke down to them,

'You cannot survive here, as I'm sure you all know. Humans are not meant for this world. If it were not for…I myself would not have known- but never mind, again. I shall tell you now; _you cannot do anything to stop the damages of your bodies._ You can, and I see, have slowed it down? But still, that is not good enough. It will not stop forever'

Yukio felt his spirit drop a little, as did the rest of them. It was useless, then? What was all his talk about before? About saving Rin?

'Ah, I see to have crushed the little hope you had left? Hehe… come now! You are much stronger than that!' Yet he looked as if he relished in their pale, white faces.

He dropped back down a little, his feet barely skimming the ground as he floated towards them. If one could have said that he looked like an angel, it would have been only in his delicate, light touch. But that touch was a deadly, poisonous touch. And by the way his face looked hungrily at them all, by his frightening aura and eyes which held a power not to be meddled with, he could be no less than a devil. What kind of a devil would he prove to be though, Yukio wondered? Friend or foe? Was he helping them? No matter what, though, Yukio would keep his guard up. He could, and never had, trusted this man; certainly he wasn't going to now. Now that he was proven to be a demon, that only increased Yukio's distrust. Yukio frowned, a little defiantly if that was all he possessed, as Mephisto drew close.

'You have only time.' He looked down, his black locks covering his face, his mouth curving secretly behind, '_You have one month_' And Mephisto flew upward, in a finishing flash of purple, a great spiral of wind that caused them all to blow over in confusion and dust. They coughed, desperate for air. One month? What did that mean?

Mephisto's form grew tinier, smaller, and then quite lost in the sea of sky and darkness. With that little bit of news, Yukio did not know how he should take it. He did not know how he should take any of the 'news' Mephisto had given them. One month to die…one month to live? Or perhaps, thought Yukio, getting up to his feet,

'One month-' ...to save Rin.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

><p>When the door had first opened, and the click of the key sounded around the room, even through his sweaty palms and racing heart, his stunned mind that such a thing had actually worked, Rin didn't take the first running step. In fact, he did not move at all, simply staring out into the now empty hallway.<p>

The lights were dimmed, his fingers held in mid-motion and something inside him seemed frozen, stopping him from setting out into the unknown. Normally Rin wouldn't have thought twice about it, normally he would have run straight out and never looked back. But this time...it was almost like Yukio was lecturing him in the back of his mind, going through the possible consequences of this possible action. That the fate of his actions here would be the fate of his actions elsewhere, and that the choices he made now would affect him in ways Rin couldn't even possibly comprehend. What did the future hold if he– Rin could almost feel it, the pressure of time on his body and the more it ticked away the more eager he felt to just simply close the door. Could he even get away? Would he be killed? Rin didn't know, but he doubted 'that man' would do him in so easily. Rin didn't know how to get back home, so if he left he'd have to literally survive in a world in which he didn't even understand yet. And for some reason, Rin _still _could not wrap his mind around the _idea_ of where he was… not even the idea of _who_ he was supposed to be. Rin hated to admit he felt that way. He just couldn't get that ugly feeling to knot in his stomach, his mind constantly in arms for the matter of his very being.

And while time stood still in the darkened hallway and Rin's thoughts continued, another doubt started to creep and prickled at his mind: maybe his friends weren't actually here… maybe it was all a trap to get him to leave? What reason did he have to trust anyone anyway? Or anything they told him at all? And that _he_ should trust the _key_ of _Mephisto_? Mephisto had betrayed him, taken his sword and turned him in…yet, and yet…! He didn't want to rely on Mephisto any longer; Mephisto, his former school principal, former father's friend was someone whom he shouldn't, couldn't trust. The only question now was, should he use his help, despite the fact that it could lead him into even graver consequences? But what else could he do, at the moment? The keys were, miraculously, the only thing he had for himself, the only thing which could possibly save him from being trapped in this pitch-black hell. He hated himself too, for not having a clearer picture of Mephisto. First a friend, then an enemy, and soon here Rin was questioning that very thought once again.

'Hah, why am I thinking so much?' Rin whispered quietly to the dark, his hands forming fists around the keys. What was he doing? Just waiting for bad things to happen?

He came to a decision. Perhaps on the spur of the moment, perhaps with a little blankness of his mind, perhaps with an extremely naïve attitude and the over simplification of what was to come. However, Rin felt something inside him, the calmness, the simple thoughts of freedom. And it suddenly occurred to him the flaws of over-thinking. It didn't matter, nothing of the sort mattered...at least not right now anyway. Whether or not Mephisto was a true enemy would be dealt with later, whether his friends were actually here would be seen in time; why was he challenging the world when all he needed to do was step forward? He had the keys in his hand, the door was wide open, and if something happened along the way, he would just deal with it then, right? It was pointless to further debate. He could see things so clearly now….

With no more hesitation, Rin stepped through the door.

* * *

><p>'<em>I see<em>…'

The room was glowing a serene blue, the doors closed which drew him into a reserved area. A single candle flickered on the far-off desk, while tiny lights rattled in disturbance as unseen forces were moving. A large, open window blew in dust, wind scattering the curtains madly revealing the dark-knit sky outside; he knew a storm was approaching. He had decided to wait for the news of the sword in his secluded quarters. He was tired, angry, and didn't need any more annoyances to test his patience while Mephisto was so obviously edging him on. And while a messenger in white kneeled beside him with information that had come rather fast, this stirring of news was constantly stirring his emotions into a frenzy.

'I knew it, that he would do that…he was never the type to listen to me after all...heh!' Satan's voice pitched up and his eyes darted around the quiet room. He could almost have lit it all on fire.

'What shall we do, my Lord, when he comes back?' The messenger, Hyde, did not look up.

'What else shall we do, hmm? We greet him as always. And then, and then...' And he could not suppress that grin, that shudder, that irrational beating which filled his heart with a feverish excitement. His hands clasped the arms of his chair, his eyes focused wide. He wanted to hear Mephisto's reasons_ now_, his reasons for so _boldly_, so _outwardly_! So soon, and so quick to step against him eh? What would be his reasons this time? Mephisto, his Son... he knew that man couldn't have missed the possibility of someone seeing him... reporting the incident of his slaying and human helping. And while Satan did not know what his Son was planning, he knew one thing, and one thing only: that the exorcists were key...

'Those three should have found them soon...?'

'Yes. It appears-!'

Blue eyes roamed over. Another had come bursting in through the door with such anxiousness and speed his trusted messenger was toppled over mid-speech. In a hurry to get to his feet, the messenger slide aside to make room for the newest, smallest 'guest'. A tiny gurgle later, and a fire ravished his insides; what could it be this time? This newest development to stir this disorder? He could not imagine what... and it disturbed him greatly.

'Master! Please forgive me but-!' The small creature that stood barely to the waist wailed in tears. Flames caught fire to his skin, and he yelped in pain.

'What could it possibly be that you would even risk your own, worthless life by causing this disruption? Speak? Or else _die_'.

The creature faltered but continued on–the flames, however, were slowly burning up his arm, and his panic was beginning to show.

'Please, please forgive my intrusion!' In a strangled effort to display his undying loyalty and support (and perhaps a little out of desperation), the tiny creature got the ground and lowered his head. His arm was still on fire. 'I've come here urgently, and there was no one else who saw! Your newly brought son has escaped his confines! I saw him running the halls and he even-!'

A scream of pain, a final collapse; the little demon not even finished his messaged. In a heap the small body struggled on the ground, quickly becoming a fiery mass of blue. Quite shortly Hyde took it in his duties to stamp out the source, quieten the noise to his lovely Masters ears. After a few moments of harsh beats, only ashes remained. He resumed his previous position as though there was never any disturbance to begin with.

'Ah...so he has escaped...' Satan spoke quietly to himself while looking in the far distance of his mind. He could not believe it. So, his son had managed to leave that place? How_._ It angered him slightly that he did not know how. He knew his son certainly wasn't to be taken lightly; even he was no fool to his own power in that boys blood. Of all his direct descendents, Rin was something... unique... But it was impossible. He _could_ not. _Not now_. Not without breaking the sword _at the least_! Who helped him? Who.

'Who...' And in a wave of emotions yet again, he threw his head back in mad laughter. Oh, this night was not yet over! No! Surely he would see to it indeed! Indeed. That he would be tested to such lengths all in one night, who could have guessed when he first set out? And at his laughter, fury, emotions of all rising to the top, the chandelier above quaked ever more.

'W-what is it...my Lord?' His messenger asked a little unsurely at the sudden fit. 'Shall I send for those who can fetch him back? He can't be far, and it would be impossible to leave unless-!'

'No. We leave him'.

And the response shocked Hyde, so much so that he glanced up, just once, to the man resting in the chair. What was his Master thinking?

'A-are you sure, my Lord? Is it alright to let him go off on his own? What if he makes it outside? Out of the castle? What if-'

'Don't you realize it yet? Hehe, my cute little Hyde? If he wants to get out so badly...then why should we stop him...? hehe... AHAHAH-' And Satan had burst into a bubble of blue, a spark had lit off inside as he exploded into a literal fireball. He could not get over the tension of this night, and his laughter rang out to the skies beyond, the heavens above, at the thoughts that this was but one single night. It had been so long since he had experienced this amount of-! And with new information that was constantly being brought...ever since he had brought back Rin... events revealing their unfolds, things long forgotten were being brought back to time. He would find the sword, he would kill the exorcists, Rin would have his fun for now. But he wouldn't let Mephisto win. He would play their game...

Hyde stumbled back to the door and stood. In that undying, crackling laughter of hysteria, he knew beyond anything else in the figure that was before him... those flames which engulfed his body, that black hair which streaked down in blue and caused him to go partly blind. More than anything else, he realized just why this man was the strongest, most powerful, eternally youthful and undying all but in that one moment of darkness. In all the commotion, it had left him speechless, and worried for what would happen to his Master's precious son in all this fathers insanity. To let him out of the castle_..._ it was madness...and especially with his limited knowledge of the demon world...? What would he do? Surely the boy doesn't know how to handle himself...

'Is it wise to let him alone, my Lord? After all, he cannot defend himself'

'We'll leave him alone... for now of course' There was a darkness in his eyes, a smile on his lips, and he leaned forward, 'Cannot go out yet cannot stay in eh? Which devil would you choose hm? And who knows... maybe he'll come back all on his own too'

But Hyde knew his Master better, the secret words encrypted by his tone. _Send for someone to watch over him._ And he could be sure just who.

* * *

><p>'What's that guy planning anyway? One month….' Bon kicked at a small stone in the darkened alleyway, the path they had decided to take.<p>

The group had decided to leave the house, Yukio deemed it unsafe with the gaping hole above and blood from the battle spilling, sickening the floors. But besides that, one small demon had escaped as well...they couldn't take the risk of their whereabouts being found out. So as much as it pained them all, as much as they would rather have spent their time in a relatively 'comforting' place while coming up with ideas on how they should move about, they had no choice but to trudge their way down the deserted, narrow path between the buildings in the dark. And as far as they could see ahead of them, there was no turn-off. It was a straight, one-way alley to a gloomed state of nothing; so dead, crumbling, it looked a bit haunting as it seemingly ran on forever.

Shiemi was concerned for what they were going to do now. She felt bad and hung her head low, mindful of her steps. She didn't want to trip over her long and muddy kimono which trailed glumly behind her, but besides that, Shiemi was upset over what had happened in the previous battle. She felt at fault for the entire incident, she felt at fault for them now having to leave. If she hadn't tried…what would she have done if Yukio got hurt? Or any of the others? The demon had come down because of the noise, because Yukio yelled at her… if only she hadn't...

'...let's stop here' Yukio commanded the group to a halt and looked back to them all.

'Why? What's the deal?' Bon sounded obviously annoyed at their lack of progress. They had not travelled far from the house. It was a maze of overgrown towers circling around them, and they clubbed in the middle as a mere speck of that.

'We need to...' Yukio didn't know where he was going with this, but something was bothering him deeply and he needed to calm down.

'I think we should head inside, climb this building to the roof...how about it?' Shima offered spontaneously, leaning against the wall and looking up at the blackness looming over. For some reason he imagined they were actually still at home, in the human world, in some sort of abandoned area with trash littered all around. If only there _was_ trash. For where they stood now, nothing but dark mist in the air, dirt and puddles of an odd-smelling substance which Yukio had said not to step in.

'That way we know...' Shima continued,' We don't even know the entire landscape of what we've just walked into; we should know the area right? The right direction...yeah... yeah' And he drifted off into silence, finishing his thoughts rather lamely.

'I-I-' Shiemi was always nervous, feeling a little left out as everyone stared at her sudden oncoming speech. She was usually quiet, and hadn't spoken much despite her feelings of wanting to help.

'I think Shima is right...we need a... layout of where we are going...where exactly we should be walking...t-this place is very big...we could-could get lost...' She turned her head down while finishing in a soft voice.

'Oi Yukio...' Bon was looking over, down and upwards towards the sky, 'Do you think those...clouds over there look normal? I mean...if I ain't going blind I'd say it looks like a storm'.

'Oh great, didn't we just leave a storm!' Shima muttered bitterly, 'What the hell, do they follow us everywhere, to the other worlds and beyond! And who knows whether it will be spitting lava or melting our skin! Great...great' Shima took the opportunity to sit down in misery. He was not having a good day, it seemed...

Yukio sighed. He too was feeling the pressure of not knowing what to do. Despite what Mephisto had said, despite his 'encouragement' for them to save Rin, Yukio was still unsure of how to do just that. It felt to him as if he were crossed at all roads, all paths blocked and one thing after the other was rushing to the attack. And though it all, Yukio was having unwanted feelings again. Why was he...? He was not supposed to be like Rin... he was supposed to have a plan but... Yukio turned these thoughts away almost the moment he had them. He was the leader. He needed to be strong, not just for himself anymore. He now had the rest of the group to look after, he couldn't afford to make mistakes; not here.

'It's too risky to walk straight into buildings and head for the roof' Yukio offered solemnly while wiping his fogged glasses on his sleeve, '...it's awfully quiet down here, and we don't exactly know the reasons why. Maybe it's always like this...but maybe it's not. Walking straight into possible demon homes, possibly setting off a spark would not be good for us. However...' He looked towards Shiemi, 'we do need to make sure of what we are walking into, so gathering the area would not be bad. And Shima!' Shima looked up,'We need you, and everyone else here, to work together. If it really is a storm, we should find shelter soon. And despite things looking grim...we...' He found it hard to go on. To supply them with hope for hope when even he was questioning it.

'Anyway, we'll continue on and... if we see anything, or any way of climbing to the roof safely, then we'll take it. Otherwise... lets just move with caution'.

And the group once more dragged their feet solemnly onward down the misty muddy path. Meanwhile, a crack of _something_ could be heard, and the skies, if possible, turned ever darker.

* * *

><p>Rin felt lost. Since his departure from the basement he had travelled fairly far, but with no more clue to whether he was actually making progress or just running around in circles.<p>

He was travelling upwards, his heart and mind both racing against the time he wasn't sure he had. But it didn't matter now, he had already made his decision. And while Rin continued to run through the maze of the floors and his mind, he felt he was slowly realizing...and he was sure he was starting to recognize the hallways he ran by-and-by. It was true that there were more sections...more rooms and puzzle-pieces to fit into perspective...but ultimately it was the same. It wasn't just the school theatre, but the whole tower was some sort of bizarre mirror, resembling almost exactly like the Academy; and Rin was using this as best to his advantage. The funny thing was though, the ironic and most painfully obvious thing was that even if he _knew_, had _lived _in Cross Academy for a short while... this castle was not any easier to figure out. Blue lights were everywhere in the dark, an illusion of traps and it felt like somewhere entirely new. He, Rin, hadn't even discovered half that mysterious school before he was suddenly taken away and brought here... just how possible was it that, now, in his desperate attempt to escape no less, in a much larger, grander, version of that very school, could he figure his way out completely? Rin had to focus, hard, just to keep his memory straight. Just to stop himself from heading into possible threats or dead-ends.

'Why is it so...' He voiced his thoughts out-load.

The only lights that existed lay at either end of the far hall; ahead of him was a curtain of unknown emptiness. It was very quiet, and Rin was feeling so nervous that he stopped for but a moment. So nervous he was sure someone had been following him for quite some time now. Perhaps imagined, perhaps not... Rin couldn't tell if paranoia was over-taking him . He had taken out a single guard on the first staircase and that was it. Rin had actually been surprised he had succeeded, fearing that he might not be strong enough...but that was all behind him now. Far behind him. He had used his flames, and now he had not met anyone else at all despite his consistent climb into the tower. Rin had thought it best to go upwards; he could make it to a window or something not so obvious. Now he was unsure. Maybe this was a trap too.

He had stopped moving, and as he did all his thoughts, his sense of direction faded fast. For but a single moment in his body, Rin felt the sensation of being utterly and completely alone. He almost wanted to scream out, he wanted to leave he felt suffocated-! If he was correct in his assumptions... he was not too far from the presumed exorcists section. Rin didn't know where a suitable window would be, but perhaps... he could head there... for now...

A pale face, his ghostly image stared back. The faint glow of light, the moving blue on walls made him afraid. He kept thinking he saw shadows, people, imagines of unknowns gathering all around him. He kept hearing sounds and not quite sure if they were real. He had to run...yet what kept him standing there, staring at himself...? Rin had been growing fearful for some time now of the mirrors. Hair dwindled down in front of his face, and for a moment he almost thought he saw streak in his eye before rubbing at them madly. It must just be his mind. He hated looking at himself too because...

It was night, it was still the night and Rin hoped and prayed he would see morning again.

'I'm going crazy... I have to get out' He turned from himself and pushed on as his feet echoed against the cold stone floors.

* * *

><p>Yukio placed his foot on the stair and looked up. It was broken, unsteady, poorly made even, but miraculously the perfect thing to use existed. For along their singular pathway they had found a set of stairs, a construction made of nearly pure rust that ran to the top like a quick escape route; a staircase along the outside of the building. Yukio had doubted it at first, but they could use this, couldn't they?<p>

'Is it safe?' Bon asked doubtfully, sure that the whole thing would collapse if he merely touched it.

And while Yukio, Bon, and Shima whispered over the sturdiness of the stairs, Shiemi was focusing her attention elsewhere and into the palm of her hand. She had found, along their walk, a small flower curled within the mud and she decided to pick it up. It was purple with tiny petal leaves, so small and delicate she could barely breathe lest it be blown away. She had never seen anything like it before. She hadn't expected to find a flower here, a piece of green in such a place as this and it had shocked her greatly. She smiled. It reminded her of her grandmother and the garden she held back at home. Maybe... this would bring them good luck? A tiny little hope that...in this world full of darkness and despair, there could still be happy things. In the world of demons, a flower could still grow? And that was the thought which made Shiemi forget about her worries. She couldn't blame herself needlessly for what had happened. She held onto it tight. She was sure they would find Rin. She was sure they would all be ok...

'Shiemi, what's wrong?' Yukio called above her on the stairs. It appeared they had started climbing. 'Hurry up, and don't get lost!'

'Yes!' And as Shiemi tucked the small flower safely into a pocket of her kimono, soon everyone was climbing the rickety staircase ever upwards towards the top.

* * *

><p>Rin had found his room. It felt strange, like he had only just been here. A few paces down would have been Yukio's right? But the room was not the same... it was only the layout. Rin practically refused to think them the same. And either way, he did not take note of anything as he ran straight for the window; a large square that covered nearly half the wall. He looked down from the tower. He hadn't imagined himself to have climbed so high. He tried to remember all the flights of stairs he had taken, but it was useless. He had been running around for a while, and Rin knew it was too quiet to be purely normal. Something must have happened, and his sense of urgency to escape couldn't have been greater... to him, it really was now or never. That if he didn't leave now, somehow Rin had a sense that he never would. And as he looked down far below him, he could see nothing but small shapes running deep into a fountain of fog. It really was high like a mountain, with clouds of a black, swirling nature, hovering near the window. To him, it was almost like his first experience on a plane with the church and his father, looking out and above the world at the clouds and figures below. He had realized then just how small and insignificant they really were. Here... it was the same.<p>

Now... all he had to do...was climb down... right?

He felt like an idiot, but Rin already knew he was. He wished he hadn't decided on a window, but this was the only option. Rin had not seen any other exits along the way, and besides that, he couldn't very well just walk through the front doors and leave where he had first come in. He had no choice. He had to climb down from the outside if he wanted to escape unsounded.

Looking at the clouds as Rin stared, it seemed eerie... like a storm. Blackness splattered in front and Rin didn't really understand until water dripped down the glass. In not a moment's waste, Rin looked around the room, swung his arm back and used all his force as the glass shards of the window broke free– Rin was going to escape; he wasn't going to be trapped, he wasn't going to be used by anyone or anything. He was going to find his brother Yukio and place all his hopes in that. Rin wasn't going to let things end like this.

When he had cleared enough space, even though his hand was completely in ruin, blood and pain, he saw it was slowly healing fast and covering his wounds.

He placed his foot up and climbed over to the ledge outside. He wasn't usually afraid of heights, but this time was an exception. Even for him, looking down cast nerves. He saw another ledge a ways below, and so with caution Rin faced the black rain, turned backwards and then began his decent down. It was starting to get wet.

* * *

><p>Rain pelted down and Shima was growing worried. Was it dangerous rain? He noticed it was black... that can't be good. Either way though, the group and Shima got soaked instantly in a very sudden downpour of pelts.<p>

'Are you alright?' Yukio yelled through the noise down to the others as they made their slow progression up. He spit the water out of his mouth, and a small groan of approval which sounded so vaguely like a 'yes' made it's way to his ears. That was good. Yukio looked up at the ways left. He hoped this was a good idea...

* * *

><p>Rin felt his hands get slippery. He hadn't expected the rain to be this difficult to fight against, and the stone beneath him was growing slick. Rin was completely soaked by now, his clothes feeling like heavy weights, his hair was constantly getting in the way of his eyes. He placed his foot on the next step but it didn't feel safe. Nothing felt safe. Rin couldn't go back up now though... he was too far gone.<p>

Rin stopped and he breathed for a moment when he found a decent sized ledge. He had made it far down the one side, and he'd wished this place was smaller...if only he could jump and then this wouldn't be so difficult and risky.

Sitting down, he let his legs swing over and Rin looked out to the world in the dripping wetness. He could see better now that he was outside, high up like a bird in the trees. In fact Rin could see the bird demons from here, and they didn't seem to mind the rain that much. He was slightly scared as he realized they had no definite head, yet their hollow voice made it's passage towards him almost as though in song. He could see hazy figures in the distance as he stared; buildings and buildings, blocks ran from all directions with the castle at it's centre. To Rin the tower _was_ the centre, all things seeming to turn ever slightly towards it. He wondered... if in all this mess Yukio was really out there. Or Bon...he wondered if Shima would have come. Hell maybe his classmate Izumo too he didn't know. He wondered if anyone had really come after him...and who would have in the first place; Rin wished he knew the answers. He wished he didn't have to be here, he wished he was still back at home and simply enjoying life. He was normal, he was just a student going to school with his twin brother. But he had ruined it all...he had not been happy at home... and by fighting...being depressed..he regretted it all.

Rin was staring for a long while at something in the distance. Wiping back his hair to get a better view, a relatively thick line seemed to be running across the fields. And now that he was taking a better examination of it all, he noticed there were three.

* * *

><p>They all stood on the flat platformed roof and didn't say a word. Yukio let his eyes widen ever so slightly; they had made it safely up despite the worn-down stairs and heavy rain which continued to pound their backs. But even through that, and even though this building seemed a little smaller than the rest, Yukio and the others could witness for themselves the single, great obstacle that lay ahead. Not to mention the immenseness of the streets or the black bricked towers at every turn which slowly grew taller with distance.<p>

'Is that...?' Shiemi huddled close underneath a large pipe.

'A wall' Bon supplied as they looked far up in silence.

It lay far beyond the dark city surrounding them, the thick mass of stone blocking the way forward. The wall was huge and scanned the far horizon just behind the buildings. And if there were no mountainous castle behind it, even at their distance it's size would have been fearsome. Whoever had constructed it, for whatever purpose, had done a well enough job indeed. It just looked so un-climbable, even considering the demons.

'Well, now that we're all cheery' Shima turned around and explored the rooftop.

* * *

><p>Rin realized that the lines were walls. Thickly made walls that divided the so-called city into three parts. Rin was now viewing the entire world from where he sat, the wind gusting strongly but he held on. Towers and towers, a city as far as he could see ran in all directions. And between them, three giant pieces of slab were in the middle. Straight below him was the first tight-knit wall, hugging the castle closely there was barely any room. The second giant wall divided a bit further beyond. And the third...after the third wall– his eyes ran far down and could see no stop; a ways a way in the flatland at the edge of the world... it looked like open fields. To Rin it seemed like the third wall divided most of the city from the rest of the bare, probably rogue world. He hoped...if Yukio really was out there...climbing the walls would be...<p>

Rin continued his decent.

* * *

><p>Mephisto grinned as he watched Rin's struggles from high above. His legs crossed as he sat, his spirits utterly glowing. And while the rain continued to beat down not a drop touched his delicate black shoes, his purest white clothes on his body. Strings of his hair strung up and flew wildly in the wind as he tipped his glass forward to the scene of his creation, watching on with hungry eyes. He was thoroughly enjoying his masterpiece set to action, his masterpiece set to work in the hands of his fate. He had prepared it all, set the stage, the players and now...now there was nothing else he could do; for the moment anyhow. But this night was not yet finished, and Mephisto knew it so. Since the moment he let Rin leave... he knew this peaceful time of his would not last...but he wished he could savour it, put him in a box on his shelf to watch over forever...before his precious piece...everything he had ever strived for was to be ruined by <em>him<em>!

'Now, now, I shall have none of that' He realized his own seething venom, and calmed down his bubbling rage in an instant too fast to be normal, 'Things will work out...in the end. I am what is called _fate_. I will have my perfect outcome, things will not fail for me, that... I had promised. I will have my revenge...'

But if he hadn't let his guard down Rin wouldn't have been-!

He crushed the cup in his hands, and the pieces flew off into the wind as it picked up on a current. Mephisto watched the black dust carry the shards and he breathed three times out. Father Fujimoto would surely be angry with him. Mephisto was surely breaking the promise of protection. Hah, but what could a dead man do about it now? And besides, if he himself had the power to stop this progression of events... he would have. He had not intentionally desired this risky business...but it had happened even still. It was impossible to stop it now...Mephisto would have to wait before ever getting his hands dirty... for his ultimate vision to succeed...

'Don't worry, Fujimoto' He smiled again, 'I will make sure everything turns to my desires. But that wasn't exactly what you wanted now...was it?' He felt a laughter curl within him. Shiro Fujimoto had wanted to protect Rin. He had wanted true peace. Well... _essentially_ he wanted that too... did he not now? Mephisto still remembered... the first time he had met... Shiro Fujimoto...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

><p><em>Candles lit the auditorium, thousands of tiny flames cast the area into a yellow shimmering light; it arched across the room in golden steams, it faded into the background of the higher ceiling. Wooden rows of high-rising chairs marked the outside rim of the room, while faces dripped in reddened hoods stared on with blank expressions; a quiet chatter surrounded them. It was night, and Mephisto could hear the rain slowly brewing, splattering ever loudly in the echos of the walls. A crack of thunder, lighting struck outside while a clock somewhere high above chimed at the stoke of mid-night. The Order, the Council meeting being held in the Academy was about to begin. The room grew quiet. <em>

_ Mephisto stood on the centre platform while holding onto the thin railing. He was looking up, towards a group of three hidden beneath the shadows. Mephisto adjusted his bow-tie._

_ "Sir Mephisto Pheles..." A loud voice, the voice of the Paladin, rang out, "We have received your request. We have always... been pleased to have you in accordance with us, and you have proved yourself useful, a valuable asset towards the very foundation of this Academy. And without your guidance... I am sure we would not have come this far in terms of our understanding. But make no mistake" He stopped, "You cannot be a part of the council. The rules state that-"_

_ "I hope you did not misread that intentionally, for I had said" Mephisto smiled, "and I think you know too... that I do not wish to become a part of the council. In fact in many ways of my own...I already consider myself to be" And at this, someone in the audience huffed loudly; Mephisto ignored. "I merely stated that, in all my years of _honourable_ service, towards you and the Exorcists Formation, I believe it is my privilege, no, my very right to take hold of the Academy I-"_

_ Mephisto stopped and stared, for a man on his far right, nearing the corner of the room had stood and removed his hood. He was fairly young, Mephisto would have guessed 20 human years. With his light brown hair, he wore tiny glasses which shone in the glow of the fires. _

_ "Sit down Shiro Fujimoto!" A high-ranking speaker railed out beside,"You may be nearing a promotion, but do not think you are of the position to speak here!" Shiro however, ignored the command and addressed Mephisto in a strong yet subtle voice. Mephisto was intrigued greatly by the young mans spirit, and his eyes lit up; he could see... potential... _

_ "I don't know what game you're playing at,_ Sir Pheles" _and there was a great mock in his tone, "but to me you are nothing more than a filthy demon... have you all been swayed by his gifts and words?" He looked around, "Don't be fooled! This man" He pointed crudely, "is a Son of Satan! He cannot be trusted, and by accepting his help in the first place we-!"_

_ "So you are one named Shiro...Shiro Fujimoto... correct?" Mephisto raised his head, his eyes and locked straight at the young man in the distance. He took delight in Shiro's shock, his taken-aback expression at being directly addressed which left him speechless, "I can see that you are a fair, smart young-man; I am sure it will take you far..." Mephisto looked to the Paladin and then glanced to the rest of the chamber, _

_"I can see...that even after all these years of loyal service... you still do not trust me. Rightly so perhaps. Perhaps... I would even have to agree. You wonderful human species wouldn't have survived this long had you trusted all demons who came knocking on your door am I right?" _

_ "Enough of this" Shiro spat, regaining himself from his humiliating silence, "If you think-!"_

_ "Enough... Fujimoto!" The Paladin himself spoke over the confusion, "Sir Mephisto Pheles is an important ally to our very existence. You are out of line and this will not be disregarded in your personal files. Sit down!". And with a painful last look, Shiro sat. He stared at Mephisto, eyes full of hate and... _

'Ah, that's right...' Mephisto looked to his watch dangling out of his coat-pocket. Still staring down at Rin from high up above, he whispered 'It's about time for me to leave...the meeting will soon begin. It's too bad...but it seems I won't be able to attend the after-party!'

And Mephisto clicked the watch shut and placed it back inside his coat. Fujimoto had changed since he was young. Shiro had grown to be a great man... just like Mephisto predicted. He was a rather good piece, and it was shame to lose him after so many years. If Mephisto could feel anything within his heart, any sadness, any grief at the thought of Fujimoto's death, it would have been in the feeling of loss to such a worthy, truly great friend and foe. Now that he had finished his dutiful work though... his original plan was scrapped with the father's fall... this would be the conclusion...

'I'll see you later...Rin' Mephisto closed his eyes and let himself sink into nothingness. He imaged the body he had been using for nearly a century. He disappeared from sight in but a small bubble of sound.

* * *

><p>Leviathan walked the open halls of Cross Academy as he searched for the sword. It was day-time, bright, sunlight filtering in through the open windows of the paths as he walked in crisp black boots. He looked down and noticed his own shadow bumping against the stone-decorated walls, his white hair brushing gently in a soft play of wind. It was very peaceful, much more peaceful than he had anticipated. It was slightly hilarious that he could do this so freely too. Was it odd that no one was around? For he was walking straight in the middle of the exorcists strong-hold and no one suspected a thing. Of course though–and Levi knew– it was all because his bastard brother Mephisto had let off the wards of the school. He had foreseen them coming here to search for the sword. There was no longer any need to break-in like Levi had previously envisioned.<p>

Levi had heard the rumours of Cross Academy being so much like back home, but when he had first come in the dead of night, he had not noticed this fact; now, however... Levi didn't even need his eyes it was so easy. Was it funny that Mephisto had essentially given them complete map to the schools entire foundation simply because of his arrogance and self-pride?

Levi focused on his task once more. He concentrated, closing his eyes as he felt the area, rooms and classrooms alike, for the presence of the sword. Asmode was searching the opposite direction of the school. No demon-sword of that calibre could go on unnoticed, that sword with a heavy spirit; they would be able to sense it if it truly _was_ here. Levi felt slightly angry at his own failings, at his father's words of disappointment upon his return. How could he have missed such an obvious thing? He went back into his mind, his memories of but hours ago. It seemed stupid that he had not suspected, why his little brother had not pulled out a sword to attack. But he actually knew the answer. It was his anger that had blinded him, anger that he knew he was never going to get any attention, any recognition for whatever he did.

Levi kicked in at the wall and it broke into scattering rubble. He didn't care if anyone heard. The sun hid slowly behind the clouds and all wind stopped.

Hah, why was that little brat, barely even old at all, so special? His father had focused so hard on him for years that Levi just didn't understand. He had searched far and wide and yet never looked at his own accomplishments. It slightly pissed him off. But whatever. Maybe if he could get the sword off Mephisto-

And that was another thing that pissed him off too. The very fact that he was searching at all! Mephisto, anyone who had heard him knew he was guilty! What was the point of this useless mission other than to waste his time? Of course though...with his older brother it was always right to be cautious. One could never know for sure... which side he was truly on. Even Levi was confused by it all really. Was he trying to start a war? Bring up the past? Probably.

'Mephisto. I'll kill you for wasting my time' And he turned around with a spin. Levi was heading back to the meeting place he had arranged with his brother. He could feel no sword, and now it was time to head back with news Levi did not want to tell.

* * *

><p>Izumo heard a far-off noise but ignored it. She checked her watch again. The council was having a meeting, and this time she knew that high-ranking officials from all over the world were attending. Even the highest-ranked exorcist, the Paladin, was coming, and other branches of the system to talk about recent events. For True Cross Academy, it was the centre piece for the entire Exorcist League, and Izumo realized just how lucky she was to be here as student with no further needs of travelling. This would be Izumo's chance to offer her assistance once more, and to supply them with her idea of using demons to help her friends. She was also waiting for the Principal of the Academy to arrive. She was supposed to meet with him. And just when Izumo was having the thought...<p>

Poof! A puff of smoke, Izumo coughed and shut her eyes as they started to tear. She had no time to react until a soft hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up, and for the first time, she looked into the eyes of the Principal.

'And you must be...' His teeth were sharp.

* * *

><p>Rin didn't know if he were up, Rin didn't know if he were down. He felt a hard surface beneath him as he lay on his stomach. His eyes were closed, and he couldn't move his body which was starting to feel pain. His head felt thick, like a lump that was spinning dangerously in a violent, whirling daze. The last thing he remembered was falling, his foot had missed and then– his hand had not grabbed the slippery rock in time. He did not know the distance to which he had fell. His breath was coming evenly now, but strained. His arm felt twisted to the side. Maybe he had broken bones. Maybe he was badly hurt. Rin slightly hoped not, because he needed to get away. He needed to find his friends... his brother Yukio. They were all trapped... here in this horrible world of a nightmare. They'd be killed...they needed to get away...Rin needed to help them...right...? His wet body now lay open on the ground, and he wasn't exactly sure if he should open his eyes. The rain was dribbling lightly on his back. Memories were coming back to him slowly, memories of a life from a distant time...<p>

_Rin was a child. It was September of the new year and Rin was heading back home for dinner. A tiny back-pack slung over his shoulders, a black coat he was carrying in his arms and Rin walked down the side-walk and back towards the church. He had stayed late for a detention, but then he saw his brother a little ways ahead. He started to wave; he thought Yukio had left already? He was holding his books but-_

_"Leave him alone!" Rin screamed. His voice came out in a fury he did not know.  
><em>

_And Rin dropped his backpack, his coat, his everything on the street as he ran towards his only brother. Rin was 6 yet he already knew how to fight. It was as if instinct had taught him naturally. Rin didn't have to use his fists much though, for soon the others ran off like wild dogs, each scattering in different directions as they fled for their lives from the demon, the monster, the beast. _

_"Are you alright?" And Yukio had just cried._

Rin felt warmth on his body. This whole feeling, scene, everything was very familiar. Hadn't he just been like this? He could see blue outside his eye-lids yet he still kept them closed. It seemed Rin's body was working against his deepest desires. He was not...

_Rin was 7 now. He felt some wild rage inside him that he couldn't control. God he was a trouble maker; he really was. He was throwing books, desks; teachers were huddled in the corner as they called out for help, the rest of his class watching eagerly from the door-room window in excitement as Rin ripped through the scene. Rin didn't know what was wrong, only that everything was wrong. He wasn't a demon, he wasn't like everyone always said he was! But then Rin felt someone hug him, miserably, and Rin didn't want to let go._

He opened his eyes, and the side-ways world came into view. He could see a portion of his arm on fire, yet it didn't hurt. He knew it was slowly healing him, slowly allowing him to breathe once again. But... at what price? His head wasn't spinning as much. The flame looked stronger, for some reason, brighter than he'd ever seen it as it enveloped him in the darkness. Who was he? It was then that he felt someone near him, and his side-way view of the dark, cold world was covered by two feet.

* * *

><p>'Ah...? Mephisto Pheles? Is that you? (...is that him?)' The Order Paladin, Auguste Angel, spoke down from the balcony towards him. Mephisto smiled pleasantly though he didn't really mean it. It was very forced on his face as his mouth twitched upwards, and even for him who so often smiled and laughed in fits, so often put on a show of emotions, it said something that he did not wish to smile here and now; he certainly did not enjoy the newly appointed Paladin 'Angel' even though he had met him just once. And while the large window in the background was opened, brilliantly radiating the room with light and colours not often seen, every freckle, every hair, every shining piece of marble floor was magnified as the Order's meeting room glowed in afternoon sun.<p>

'Greetings, fellow ladies and gentlemen of the Order!' It was not time to speak yet, but Mephisto decided to take control of the session with the first words. He stood on the raised platform in the centre and spoke clearly to all, the rows of spectators dressed in blue, the people on benches who rose and faded with height. My, how much things have changed? Mephisto thought in a sudden remembrance of Shiro Fujimoto.

'Do you know why we have called you?' Angel remained stiff like so many of the high-rankers around him, shifting in his seat with his clasped together hands, 'Do you know why you are here? Mephisto?'

And while Mephisto smiled onward and out, his dislike for the blonde haired man grew ever more. He had seen many exorcists over the years, many strong and weak Paladins sit in that same place and chair as the one before him. They so often enjoyed their power, and Mephisto could see this one did too. However, he was young, inexperienced, and most of all did not address Mephisto like all the others...the respect he _deserved_. Who did this human think he was playing with?

'Why of course. You have called me, to discuss something of interest? That thing you were going on about? Something important but I just can't seem to-!'

'Quit playing Mephisto Pheles' Angel did not laugh. And as Mephisto looked up slowly, coldly, with his hands still playing his mouth mid-speech, his eyes grew dark, and so too did his lips grow stiff.

'Ah yes...you wanted to ask me about _that_ now?'

'You were hiding a Son of Satan' Angel cut straight to the point, 'in this very school, no less? And now you've lost him, is that it? What else are you hiding? Was Shiro Fujimoto in on it too? After all these years of 'service' (something that was never right to begin with) you've finally shown your true colours. Demons will always be demons; isn't that the lesson here?'

Mephisto looked slowly around him. It was inevitable that the news of Rin's existence would come out with recent events... not even Mephisto could stop it. The humans were growing noticeably more anxious, conscious of their faults and trusting selves at the words of their Paladin. They could not hide the rustling of clothes, the broken out whispers that quickly surrounded them as doubts of Mephisto's loyalty began to play at their minds. Their faces, their eyes, were mystified expressions clouded with confusion. Mephisto could feel it all, the changing mood and atmosphere filling up the room. Then he quickly looked back to the blonde sitting high above.

'I did nothing of the sort, Sir Angel' His voice was soft and gentle, but his eyes were slanted to a slit. And there was danger in his stance, his arched back and presence that Angel, nor the crowd, necessarily picked up on. He would not let this cheap man accuse him, threaten the status he held here, or even slander but the grain of trust he had built over centuries living in the human world and escorting the exorcists in fashion. He started again, but in a grandeur voice of confidence.

'But I suppose if you must know, then by all means! There is no use hiding an ocean in a tin-can. I hid a Son of Satan' And at his admittance of supposed guilt, supposed treachery and arrogance, the noise level grew like a roaring wind. The audience gasped-in, and anger was spilling out from all sides as people shouted in anger and used facial expressions Mephisto had never even dreamed of. Mephisto took it all with pleasure. He was always fascinated by the fact that pure, honest truth could be used to turn the tides. That shock that was needed to cause disorder and mayhem in the hearts of the crowd. He held onto the railing and, after a few moments of being the object to scorn, he shouted again...

* * *

><p>The other world was gloomy, he realized. The rains soft fall, the black slender drops that fell in front of his eyes. It was no longer pounding their backs, but rather a gentle fix that came down in timed movements of sorrow. And through it all Yukio stared out at the dreary, quiet world and wondered where his brother was. He wondered if Rin was in fact all right, and what was happening to him now. It felt like ages since he had last seen him, sleeping peacefully in the dark on his pillow. He wished he had said something more... before all of this occurred. For now not only was the world against his journey, but giant walls were separating him physically from going any further towards his brother.<p>

'Go back, it's stupid and reckless' His mind was constantly telling him.

'Go back where?' He would answer himself.

'Your brother's a demon, you knew that from the start. Why go after him if this is home?'

No. Yukio wouldn't think like this. He closed his eyes and sighed. He remembered his fathers death. He remembered Rin's words. Yukio remembered the funeral...

_Raining, it was raining. The skies were dark and Yukio felt this reflected his mood. He had not felt anything since the news. He held his umbrella solemnly, watching his only father's body sink deeper into the ground. _

_He stood in a small circle of the family, the church who had taken care of him and his brother all their lives; it was a private funeral. Yukio had heard a brief explanation and nothing more was said; he felt slightly disgusted. He knew it was a cover-up but still...Yukio had to keep his mouth shut. He had to protect. He always had to protect... Rin. A few prayers were said, a few tears, and then dirt was thrown on top of the casket where his mentor, teacher and father was to lie for eternity onwards. He wished... that he was still here. But wishes didn't come true. He wanted to turn back time, he couldn't continue on... alone... and all for what? What did his death mean? Yukio had not seen Rin since the accident, and he didn't know how to feel about it. He wasn't surprised his brother was absent. Yukio wasn't surprised by anything his brother did anymore. His blank eyes traced the ground and he felt... _

Did he hate his brother? No. That wasn't it. His father had spent years protecting him. Protecting Rin from this...this sort of future. His memory cut in and out as he looked towards the castle...

_"Yukio! Listen to me!" His father had grabbed his arm, stopping him from running out the door like he so desperately wanted to. Yukio was 12. They were in his room, the sun setting just outside while the whiteness of the walls faded to grey. He was supposed to be strong, he was supposed to be mature... but not like this! Yukio didn't want to hear anymore. He didn't want to hear about Rin anymore. He had heard enough all his life and this was the final blow.  
><em>

_"Rin is your brother, Yukio; you must accept that no matter who he is!"_

_"Why should I accept someone who is-who is- a demon!"_

_"Yukio!" And instantly Yukio regretted the words by the pain in his father's voice, the disappointment, expectations, every single hidden hardship etched beneath that face which knew so much more than he. Yukio stopped struggling, stopped breathing and listened to reasons he did not want to understand.  
><em>

_"I thought you would be old enough...to accept...what have I taught you all these years? __Demons are only what you make of them. Demons are only what you believe them to be!__" Yukio could feel himself crying and he turned away, putting his eyes to his sleeve. He heard his father sigh,__ pull him to a hug, "Y__our brother is your brother Yukio, __and no one else. Never forget...that...Yukio"_

_"...but why?"  
><em>

_"Why? Since when did you ever need a why?" And the father chuckled into a small laugh...rubbing Yukio's hair back and forth while squeezing him tight..._

Did he need a why? Did he need a reason... now...?

_"Yukio...do you want to become an exorcist like me?" Father Fujimoto knelt down to a Yukio who was crying because he had seen terrible things again; demons that haunted him and plagued him everyday, demons that quite often hurt him more than bullies did. He kept his face hidden to his knees, as if to protect himself from the scary world that existed all around._

_"Yukio, did you know?" His father's voice came in a gentleness and Yukio listened between sobs, "Did you know that your brother needs you to protect him?"_

_"F-from what? He's strong already... a-and he doesn't have to see these..." Yukio cried a little harder. _

_"You're right. He can't see them...not yet anyway" He pulled Yukio to his feet unexpectedly, "But one day, Yukio, your brother will see much worse things than this..." _

_"L-like...what..." Yukio didn't believe him. What could be worse than seeing demons?  
><em>

_"Everything your worst nightmare can possibly imagine. You need to protect him from that future... can you do it, Yukio?"_

_"What?" _

_And Yukio looked shocked at his father's serious expression; that his brother would experience something even more terrible? His brother needed saving? Protect the brother... who for as long as he had remembered, always did so for him? Could he be like that?_

_"Promise me that...you..."_

* * *

><p>'Order order!' Angel yelled amidst the chaos.<p>

'For what reason did you hide him, he should have been killed; it was Fujimoto's duty!'

'The school was under your protection, how could you let such a disaster take place!'

'If you hadn't kept his existence a secret we could have done better protection!'

'It was decisive move by the enemy, I had no part in the taking of Rin!' Mephisto laughed inwardly; how ironic it was that the one thing he had not intentionally desired, was the one thing he was to be accused of?

'But whether you believe in me or not, it is a move we can now not erase! Trust in _me_, trust in me and I will make sure no harm befalls humani-!'

'.._.Mephisto Pheles_...' Mephisto opened his mouth but stopped abruptly at the sound of his name. He heard it from the inwards of his body as he squinted his eyes. An illusion? A production of his mind? He pricked his ears over the hurricane-like crowd to a silent wind, a hidden melody, the voice of an old man speaking somewhere all around him. But whether or not it was real, whether he could see the mans form or not hidden beneath the dozens of spectators, beneath the shouting raids of arms and curses that went flying in every direction, he stopped and listened to the voice which spoke only to him.

_'Mephisto Pheles...'_ it whispered quietly, _'I remember...you. They think no one remembers hehe...but I do Mephisto. I know what you did. Even within the Order... it was covered-up but I saw...that night. You cannot go on forever, now, can you?'_

Haaah...? Mephisto grinned, so widely, so stretching he almost couldn't control his own facial features. Who was this old man? Saw him? Him? Mephisto looked around again but the voice said no more. He felt slightly panicked him that someone might know, but after a few moments he felt sure it was but his mind. Hehe...was he, Mephisto, feeling _guilty_? _Paranoid? _Never.

'Perhaps!' Mephisto found himself and started again, this time speaking directly to Angel who stonely listened forth, 'It was not the best of my decisions. Perhaps it was a chance that Fujimoto and I decided to take. However. This doesn't change the present...' By now, most of the audience had grown soft, and all things focused once again into a still-silence, 'What is done is done, and whether it was for better or worse you now must make _a choice! _Whether you want to trust in _my abilities _(as you've always done mark)_..._or whether you wish to fight this war alone. But I suppose...if I cannot persuade you of my loyalty towards you and your cause...then my young miss Kamiki can do it for me? Bring her in, if you please'

And the doors were pulled open to reveal a, rather nervous, Izumo who held onto her pride as she blushed walking in. She would not back down this time.

* * *

><p>Satan was alone. He walked over to his bedroom window which was now closed tight. He looked down. He attempted to feel for the presence of Rin but it was gone. Heh...so he had made it outside then? How lovely. He didn't mind letting him go for a while... he knew he would be coming back to him soon enough. Now that he had entered this world, he wouldn't be able to leave without his knowing. And besides that, he had already waited enough for his son's return... what would a few more moments hurt? However...<p>

He turned and faced the door. They had made it back...? He wondered what they would bring... no, he knew what they would say; he knew there was no sword. He had known it the moment he had heard Rin's laugh, the moment he had searched his son's memories and seen the wood. Mephisto had not needed to come, he had not needed to search the school to further the theories of his son's cunning scheme. However, there was always the _doubt!_ The doubt and he needed the _truth!_ Where did he hide the sword...and why? _He needed the sword! _

'Was it to get back at me...perhaps?'

If Mephisto was the culprit, perhaps it was this reason... but that was still too easy, far too easy for one such as him. And _where_ was another factor. Mephisto, his son, his abilities in space far outmatched even his own. It could only be his own blood to cause him this much trouble; it wasn't even the humans, the exorcists, but rather his own kin that was corrupting his _world_ and _ultimate vision_! And if the sword was anywhere, with _him..._ by now it was nowhere. His son would have kept it from even physical manifestation itself... ridding both the sword... and all evidence away from him; a double-play. _Why_ could he never collect physical confirmation! Why did Mephisto always escape from his grasp! Satan bit his thumb in frustration. _He needed the truth! _He remembered their last game like it was no time at all. He had killed all the exorcists, had killed them all in that fiery display of blue... he would not let the same happen again. If they were to play...he would make sure of it this time.

'Father...' A far off voice called from behind him. His sons had returned, the door had opened, and even though he had heard it click, close shut, and two pairs of bodies move as they made their way inside, he showed no effort to him having heard. Instead he spoke quietly, his back towards them while he faced the windowsill and rain swept storm,

'There was no sword, was there?' And when no reply met his, when the only reply was a muffled silence and the quick motion of nerves of their shuffling clothes, did he now know for sure. The sword was officially gone; 'missing'...so it was now.

'I couldn't feel anything. There was no trace...at all...' Asmodeus spoke hesitantly to his fathers dark form. He didn't know what was the right thing to say in this tensioned situation.

And while the room was growing thick with apprehension as they waited for _something_, anything in terms of a response, Levi tried to keep his thoughts as blank as possible. He would have done anything not to be here, not to deliver _this _news. He wanted to impress, not fail his father completely! And he hated to be pushed around, ordered around only to end up like this.

For a while the two stood by the door, their father in the dark by the window and simply nothing happened. He stood solid, but shadowed, a statue, but shrouded by the night as it absorbed his room completely. The greenness of the bed and curtains remained still and nobody breathed. Levi and Asmode exchanged flicks of nervous glances but didn't dare anything else. They wondered what was going to happen, now that he had no sword, now that Mephisto seemed guilty of tampering with his plans. Now that something was starting and they weren't exactly sure what.

Satan was watching them from the back of his mind. He could see they were nervous, but his silent demeanour was not without excuse. He was watching the outside rain while thinking deeply about this nights events. The disappearance of the sword, it's entire existence seemingly 'poofed' into nothingness all pointed to his damned son Mephisto. He was still waiting for the day he would openly admit his treachery, his treason against him! And while Satan knew what he wanted to do...for his ultimate plans to succeed... _he needed the sword_! He held a silent rage inside him, but then pushed it further, deeper into his heart and calmed down before splitting into fiery madness. He was thinking rapidly.

One sword and he was finished? Did it really stop his plans that completely? He _had collected Rin_...had he not? That he had found his lost son at last, brought him back safely and away from the humans... wasn't that all he needed? And he had been planning on _that_ anyways with or without the 'sword'. Yes... and...

Satan had another idea. An idea that had trickled his mind since the discovery of the weapon used to hide his son away. He wasn't entirely sure it would work... he assumed he would obtain the sword along with Rin...it never occurred to him as a possibility other than something amusing... But now that the blade was not within his closed hands...? Now that Mephisto seemed unlikely to give-up his parade...? His clever son thought he was winning but he had no right!

'It is simple, then' He spoke aloud, his eyes burning with desire, his decision strong.

If the sword was out of his reach...if he could not crush that scrap of metal with his own two hands-!...then he would just push his son to the _limits of his mind, to the_ _limits of his_ _power-! If he could not have the sword,_ then he would just push his son to release his true_ flames and he would __break the sword from the inside-out!_ He would _break Rin _with _everything he had! _The exorcist-seal was weakening... it was the reason he had found his son in the first place. He would secure Rin to his side...he would force him to release his _true potential_ and the sword would forever disintegrate from whichever place, land, dimension it now in _lay_! He did not need the sword! And Mephisto could keep it for all it was worth! And he would _win_! Yes...it was perfect. He would play with Mephisto one more time, truth would be found...his son would be his at last. His plans would succeed. And of course...he would kill all the exorcists too. He would kill them all... before they ever reached the castle...yes...it was perfect.

'Beelzebub... bring him in' He connected his thoughts to his third-born son and smiled truly for the first time that night, 'We need to begin the ceremony...'

* * *

><p>'He's- <em>Satan-sama's<em> isn't-isn't he?'

'No fool, he wouldn't be just lying around here freely, would he? And didn't he just arrive?'

'It's blue...'

Rin kept hearing voices beside him, and he wasn't sure if that was the most unnerving thing; they sounded so strange yet he could understand every word. Rin was slowly gaining back his strength, and with that slowly gaining back his consciousness–somehow though, he wished that wasn't the case. And while Rin heard several of them chatter away, he kept his eyes shut. Soon Rin felt someone touch his arm, his sleeve, his hair, jacket, even his flames as if to see if they were real. Stop.

'He's mine, I found him first!' A voice butted in and Rin felt himself being pulled

'Hey! Give him back! I need him most!'

'You can't touch him, step away' And then Rin dropped back to the ground; he saved himself from twisting his arm further by carefully landing on it.

'Have you both lost your _sense_? Don't you realize? If _he's _here, he must have come from straight over the wall! And if he did we're all screwed for touching him in the first place!'

'Yes but _I_ will return him to our King, _I_ will be granted and receive the rewards! His most prized son will be returned if he is _lost,_ and then! And then I will be recognized for-!'

A fight broke out; Rin opened his eyes a crack and could barely see two figures scatter down the open pathway. They looked almost human, from what he could see, except for the occasional tail, spiked arms one was sprouting, or horns coming twistingly around their ears. Was it time to get up yet? Could he stand? Rin felt he could, but he was unsure of what he should do. And for the first time, the first time since he had woken up, even before when he was dragged down the aisle to his doom...Rin felt afraid and unsure of the world. Could he really _survive _here? Alone and unprepared? He had just barely taken beginners exorcism class and now suddenly he was being faced with this...this...

In an instant of his mind, in the fight he was witnessing while pretending to be out... Rin realized he didn't know anything at all, and doubt at his own self, his abilities and worth, was starting to seep in.

* * *

><p>Izumo tied her hair back and walked steadily to where the principal stood. She felt a definite shift in mood when the doors slowly opened, and she wasn't exactly sure if it was her imagination; the pressure of air, the silence of footsteps against the floor as if all sound had been sucked; the narrowed eyes that followed and judged her every move that burrowed so deeply in faces as if to say she was not welcome in the here and now. The man on the high balcony with the blonde-streaked hair, surly the Paladin himself, didn't seem too pleased by her sudden arrival either. Someone coughed and her nerves spiked to a high. Izumo was only half-way though, and she wasn't particularly sure what she was being accused of. Izumo knew this was an important meeting, and for a first year exorcist she wouldn't have been allowed under normal circumstances. However, with one word from the principal she had been pardoned to come and say her piece. She needed to do whatever she could whether they hated her or not.<p>

'Ah, please step over here' Mephisto guided her over to him. He was smiling pleasantly, but in the back of her mind Izumo wondered what could possibly happened mere moments before to cause such a distortion of atmosphere.

'I wish to ask you-' Izumo began from the platform but suddenly-

'I heard you were the friend who witnessed the incident?' The blonde man's voice echoed in a loud ringing above, 'We have already listened what you have to say, Ms. Kamiki, and are thankful for your cooperation. Four innocent bystanders were brutally murdered during the episode, and we have since been able to deduce_ traitors_ and _liars _from your information' Mephisto chuckled into his hands, 'But other than that, you don't need to get involved, you cannot-!'

'I'm sorry' Izumo felt slightly annoyed; why was she always treated as a child? 'but that's not why I am here Sir-Sir?'

'Angel' Mephisto whispered in her ear.

'Sir Angel. I am here to ask for your help!' The room grew silent, and Izumo gathered her nerves as she spoke in a clear voice at all, 'I have an idea to present to you, and I believe it could give my friends a fighting chance to survive down there! I want to help them, even if I must do it alone. But I believe-!'

'And what is your plan, Ms. Kamiki?' Angel looked bored, rolling his eyes while examining his reports, 'What can a mere child do to stop-'

'We must work together with demons' Izumo said bluntly and straight-forwardly with her eyes full of steel.

And at the suggestion, the very sound of the words to _work_ with the monsters they fought each night and day, Mephisto laughed incredibly to the skies while the audience gasped in appalled horror as though a foul mouthed curse had been shouted; as though what Izumo had said was so unspeakable she should be punished for the mere thought. Working with demons, Izumo knew not even summons could be considered working with demons. And the Order was now in no order at all. Izumo tried to remain calm during the chaos, and suddenly she felt glad that the Principal, however strangely, was standing beside her with so much confidence.

'Outrageous!' Someone barked down to her, 'Do you know what true demons are like! Don't be so naive girl!'

'I can't believe what's coming out of our children's mouths in this day...'

'Is this the product of our schools teachings! Demons! They're demons!'

'Settle down!' Angel yelled out with a few bangs and the anxious crowd resumed once more into a shiftiness; tension filled the air, unrest at it's curtains and he spoke once more to the scene,

'Ms. Kamiki. Are you a traitor to humankind?'

'N-no Sir...' Izumo frowned as her fists gripped white across the banister; who was this man? She disliked him already. She wouldn't back down from her idea though... she believed in it strongly.

'Then do you have any idea what you have just suggested? Do you know what _we_ of the Exorcists stand for? We do not work_ together _with demons, we work to defeat them isn't that right Mephisto?'

'Oh most beautifully said,' Mephisto smiled darkly.

'And if you are not a traitor, Ms. Kamiki, then what do you hope to gain by "working"–so you call it–with demons? Demons do not _work_ for-nor-with humans; they do not help. And if anything, they work solely for themselves isn't that right Mephisto Pheles?'

'I couldn't agree more' Mephisto exclaimed cheerfully.

'Therefore, it appears you are still-!'

'I found out they're still alive!' Izumo shouted above him and in a commanding voice she was not used to. Angel seem taken-aback but she didn't care if she was going to be expelled. She wouldn't let her only chance to help her friends slip-by, even if she was going against the very ideas and lessons she had always learnt in class.

'Yesterday, I used a summons...' She continued to the crowd, 'They told me...I gave them a message and I believe they will repeat it to my friends. But my summoning skills are fairly weak!' Izumo yelled in desperation, 'If it was one of you, I'm sure we could do much more! If we could use different demons...or if we could gather support! Gather information from the other side, persuade them to work for us! Some of them...I believe some of them will help...and we can help them survive! I don't know but it's better than doing nothing! We can correspond from the inside with them if nothing else!'

And suddenly the whole audience broke out into discussion at Izumo's claims.

'Really? So the exorcists are alive then?'

'Summons? Would that even work?'

'It is not the exorcists we are most concerned with, Ms. Kamiki' Angel retorted over the new-found commotion, but clearly he was losing ground with the general assembly; they continued to chatter on which angered him slightly,

'If they die (which I don't see how they can not) then it was entirely their fault for going after a demon. What we care about is-!'

'Ah but wait a moment!' Mephisto cut-in deeply and Angel eye's bulged, 'Isn't this what I've been suggesting all along? If I do say so myself, my lovely student makes a most wonderful observation!' Mephisto extended his arms, then held onto Izumo's shoulder,

'Yes... the very idea is shocking isn't it (or not so shocking in my case), but _working together with demons_...hehe, what have I been saying all along? Is there really any other way? _Trust in me._' He shouted_, _'Trust in Ms. Kamiki's idea. Trust _me_ fellow councilmen and members of the Order! We can use my young students idea, and Sir Angel...' Angel looked on in contorted rage, 'not to be rude but saving the exorcists may be your only hope now! Who else will stop that deadly weapon from falling into the wrong hands! Who else can stop that man's desires?'

'One day Mephisto' Angel was in a fury, crumpling papers in front of him while his voice deranged to a spit, 'One day I'll have your head Mephisto! Right where it belong-!'

'Paladin Auguste Angel!' The elder beside him sat offended, 'This is the last straw. We do not say such words and direct _threats_ against a member of this council no matter what they may or may not be accused of! As well we must respect our young lady guest and not belittle the loss of her classmates and friends!' Angel couldn't have been more red and humiliated. Mephisto smiled.

'Sir Mephisto Pheles... has been with us through thick and thin. He has aided us... in insurmountable ways. We must not forget that. Has his supply of information ever been wrong before? We all remember his reasons, do we not?' The elder looked around to them all, and by now, he had taken over as speaker, Angel seemingly gone into a seething silence.

'The exorcists may very well be our last chance to stop Satan's plans. Sir Mephisto and Ms. Kamiki's suggestions are not completely without sense'.

The elder looked down to Mephisto, 'I can see... perhaps... Sir Pheles did not intend for all of this to happen' Mephisto tipped his hat in gratitude and smiled, 'We do not know how the protections of the school were disarmed...but we must not lose our rational; it has not been the first time our defences were broken concerning Satan himself correct?' The exorcists in the crowd shuffled nervously, 'So while a Son may have been kept alive secretly...it shall not go unpunished, of course...but did we not all believe in Shiro Fujimoto? A worthy Paladin during his time? Why should we doubt him now in death?'

'But Sir!' Far and high above, someone in the upper regions of the balcony raised his hand and stood, 'Allying ourselves with demons is surely outrageous! Even _if_ Sir M-Mephisto...it does not make all demons...capable'

The high-elder sat in thought for a moment, then turned to his fellow leaders. After a few minutes they came to a, rather swift, conclusion.

'Sir Mephisto, will you then agree' He sent out below, 'to continue your services to us? To cooperate with us as a trustful... correspondent? And to aid them...where you see fit?'

'Of course. That I will' Mephisto thoroughly enjoyed the old elders of the council; they had made his job so much easier... it worked out much better than he had intended...

'And you, young Ms. Kamiki, will you train hard to further your skills in summons?'

'O-of course!' Izumo jumped a little, not having expected being addressed.

'Then we will cooperate with you in your request. We will provide you with essentials while you can attempt to gain the trust of your demons. You will be in charge, however, of this operation, while we of the Order will oversee your progress. If things seem to be going well, only then shall we can think about furthering it's usage. Is everyone in agreement, then?' He asked the general audience, 'Does this sound good to you all?'

A general mummer of consent drifted its way around the large room, a few nods of approval, a few shakes, but the Order seemed relatively content at the simple, momentary solution.

Mephisto's eyes trailed the court room, the high balconies and tall windows, the swarms of humans in seats and felt generally satisfied that such a marvellous out-come had taken place. The truth was surely his ally...

'Well! We best be on our way then no?' Mephisto clapped his hands and awoke the crowd, 'I need to be heading off soon, time is short and we can never know when something else will... spark, so to speak?' Mephisto hummed a small tune as Angel's furious face looked on. He escorted Izumo by the shoulders down and out of the room. And for once Mephisto felt things had gone according to plan. But didn't everything always go according to plan? No.

'How splendid, don't you agree?' He asked Izumo as they headed down the hall, 'We shall all be helping our friends out now, shall we?'

'Yeah...' But Izumo bit her tongue in silence. Would everything really turn out fine?

* * *

><p>The earth was shaking, the ground was splitting wide open and Rin felt the immediate need to get up. Bounds of rock caved-in from above while his stomach and feet were utterly collapsing in confusion. What was happening? The demons around scattered in a flurry, tripping over themselves as though having been shaken, roughly awakened to just what exactly they were dealing with when coming too close to the wall. Rin looked down the narrow path, felt glad he could stand and presumably run, but then saw a figure in green in the distance as the earth-quake slowly stopped. Rin felt vaguely sure he had seen someone similar not too long ago...but even if he did, it nonetheless didn't equal anything good. Something seemed to be sticking out of his mouth.<p>

'You're Rin I see'. The figure jumped over and took Rin completely by surprise as he came face-to-face. His dark green hair and coat were too much to take in, and Rin stepped-a-step backwards.

'It's a shame, little brother' The demon sprouted solemnly, his yellow eyes blue, 'If only you were stronger and not stuck... then the fight could have been worthwhile'

'Huh?'

And before Rin knew anything, before Rin could even get the words from his mouth, his vision was altered, a pain hit his forehead and he flew backwards, tumbling to the ground a sum distance away after being kicked by a black boot in the face. He blanked out for a moment before coming to. Rin lay still while his head had taken a fair blow, his world spinning rather dangerously yet again. And as Rin noticed the green-haired demon came closer, he inwardly sighed; another one? Another of his... supposed relations? Why wouldn't they just leave him alone? Even if Rin was fairly 'durable', he didn't' particularly enjoy getting beaten up every time someone calling him 'brother' came walking along.

'Hmm...' Amaimon chewed on a string with a peculiar look on his face. He was neither happy nor sad, nor angry, nor expressed any form of enjoyment while looking at his youngest brother Rin on the ground. Amaimon wanted to play and have fun...brother had said the fight would be good... but this wasn't anything of the sort. He had wanted to see his flames, his blue fire but why wasn't he showing anything now? Only tiny, barely even noticeable flicks had emerged from Amaimon's attack. When he was with father... hadn't he shown something more interesting? Was the exorcists-sword holding him back?

'Who are you?' Rin finally had the nerve to ask, 'A-are you another one?'

'Hmm...?' Amaimon continued to chew while not really taking in Rin's question. He was thinking, blinking, day-dreaming about all things in which he could possibly do to get his brother's form out. But then,

'Why I'm your darling older brother, make no mistake about that. But tell me...little brother' Amaimon hopped closer and crouched down to him, 'What's so special about you? Where did you put your sword hmm?' He examined some of Rin's black hair, 'And what's got you all the way out here? I thought you were supposed to be downstairs?'

Rin felt angry and started to get up. After kicking him the face, this guy sure had nerve to start asking him questions and pulling at his hair. Rin frowned as he answered,

'No. I'm not supposed to be anywhere. I'm leaving and no one can stop me'

'Heeeehh?' Amaimon watched as Rin got to his feet, 'But you're already here, aren't you? How do you plan on escaping?'

'I don't know, but I will' Rin said defiantly with narrowed eyes, 'I'm going to find my brother now'

'Who? Your brother? But I'm your brother too aren't I?'

Rin didn't answer and started to walk away. The rain was still gravitating downwards, but by now Rin barely felt it as it drizzled his hair in sadness and completed his picture miserably. He stumbled along the path unevenly; he didn't know what he was doing, he didn't even know if this was the right direction to get out. Was everything useless? He had fallen from high-above, healed somewhat, got kicked in the face and now Rin still felt dizzy by it all. Where was he even going? He needed-

'Well, you can't leave just like that. Who said you're allowed to go?' Amaimon came rushing and Rin saw only a shadow before he crashed and was brought down to the mud.

'Get off' Rin breathed with his face in the dirt, the heavy weight holding him down. He was mad and he wasn't exactly sure why. He just wanted to be alone, he didn't want to deal with this guy any longer. He didn't want to...anymore..._  
><em>

'Huh? No, I wasn't doing anything' Amaimon spoke and Rin looked up puzzled.

'I wasn't supposed to? But I just wanted to meet him personally'

'I only saw him and saved him from being ripped apart, what have you done? Did you know he fell?'

'...' And as the body on his back slowly lifted, did the peculiar self-talking remind him of something. Rin looked up and saw the brown-haired, red-eyed demon he'd seen in his time down in the basement. Rin got up and faced him.

_'It's time to come back now' _Rin heard an unusually soft voice enter his mind. Then it suddenly occurred to him to be the demon in front. He was tall, overly tall and Rin felt a little helpless compared. Seeing him up close Rin merely came to but his chest. He displayed an air of coolness while his face showed no emotion, no smile, and only the small flicker in his eyes said to Rin he knew exactly what he was doing.

'What if I say no?' Rin tested him but he wasn't sure if he should do so.

_'Then you'd leave me no choice...'_

* * *

><p><em>'Promise... that you'll stop that, won't you? Protect your brother... don't let that nightmare happen alright?' <em>

Yukio looked out of the gloom and darkness. He realized his time was being wasted and he needed to move. He needed to go after his brother. He had promised to never lose him, to protect him at all costs... that future he was warned against was happening now wasn't it? The nightmare that Rin would experience, that was worse than even Yukio's greatest fears. Yukio needed to stop it, didn't he?

But what was it...? What was it that seemed so wrong...? Yukio continued to stare at the giant castle in the background, lonely and haunting in it's quiet surroundings. No sound, no movement in the unspeakable world... what was going on... over there? And then in a horrible, sickening moment... with a dropping, dense feeling in his stomach... Yukio had the sudden feeling he'd let someone down. And that' he'd failed his mission... before he had even begun...

Where was Rin?

* * *

><p>In another situation, in another time, Rin may have wondered why he was repeating himself. Why he was again drenched and bloodied, why he was again not strong enough to stop himself from being taken away. Because for a second time in a row that night, for a second horrible time on that very same night, Rin was being brought down through the gates, again being brought down the rough stone entrance-way at the front of the castle; though this time it lay empty, no crowd nor Mephisto there to welcome him homely inside. He was completely out-of-it as his body wheeled in pain, and he wondered in the back of his mind why this was happening to him yet again. Rin was hanging off someone's shoulder, slow and drawn as blood rushed to his head; he barely even noticed the green-haired demon walking along beside in the rain. He wasn't sure where they were going, but if he only had to guess once... he probably would have been correct.<p>

Rin was always getting into trouble...Yukio always told him so. He was always too risky, always running after things he shouldn't go after; that one day things wouldn't go as he planned...that one day he would run into something far too large for his understanding. And Yukio had been right. For Rin could not handle this...no matter what he never could have. The first time in his life, everyone and everything was far out his league; he didn't understand this place at all, and it was exactly that naivety which had lead him to his current, beaten-down state.

Rin knew he wasn't getting away from this so easily...and he knew, somewhere deep down, that he could not leave from this fate. His one chance at escaping was gone forever, but maybe he never had the chance to begin with. His final outcome had been decided since the start...and something like understanding settled in the back of Rin's mind. Perhaps he had known it from the moment he stepped out of the door, made his simple decisions without truly thinking of the consequences. Or maybe even before all this. Why did he fight so hard against himself? And no matter how much Rin desperately wanted to go after and save his brother... save him and go home...Rin knew this time, this one and only time _he_ _could not_. Yukio was alone now, Rin was alone now, and both of them were trapped in fates uncontrollable to their own hands. This was who he was, this was _where_ he was, and he had to accept, even by being forced, it seemed. Rin didn't know if he would ever see the sky, even free air again, but his previous life was fading fast without his meaning to. It was just like...a dream...

_"Rin see this?"_

_Oh? It was Shiemi. Shiemi was standing, smiling in her cherry blossomed kimono at the front of the garden. She had always refused to wear her school uniform, and Rin silently wished he did too. She entered the gates and Rin followed behind; she was showing him the various plants she grew at the back of True Cross Academy. She talked of her grandmother, of the store with her mother. Her blonde hair so sunny it was nearing white, the gentle streaks of yellow blowing in time with the wind only made him that much more cheerful. Rin stepped her steps through the flowery garden, and stepped her steps up the various rocks and stoned-way path between the trees. _

_"I'll definitely find it" She went on happily, bending down to pick out a weed, "The garden of all things and everything that exists. Just wait... then we'll go there together"_

_"Yeah..." Rin noticed how pretty she was in the brightness and surrounding flowers. He almost wanted to pick her up and be happy forever. He knew she'd find it. Because of all people in the world... she would definitely find that beautiful place of green._

Hmm? Rin knew this floor. He had just left but once again he was inside the tower halls and confusing pathways. He would have laughed if he were able. He was never able to get away...his climb down and broken fall, even despite his persistence and desperation he never did find his way out. It was still dark, still the night but a vague sense of morning seemed to be near; somehow this made him feel uncomfortable. Was he almost...there?

_"Hey" _

_Bon was in front of him, his high-lighted hair was crazy as ever, his attitude not changed much since they first met. But what was he doing...? Didn't he hate Rin?_

_He placed his notebook on top of Rin's desk, "Just make sure to return it by tomorrow, got it?"_

_Rin stared, then gaped, then his mouth was hanging wide-open in disbelief. He didn't believe what Bon was saying. He was a little unsure of what to do, his insides seeming to struggle with the profound gratitude he was unable to comprehend. Bon merely grunted his reply as Rin's lips moved hesitantly to form something of a thank-you. It was as if God himself had come down and granted his miracle, that he'd given him the greatest gift and the one thing he absolutely needed now most of all: notes. Now he wouldn't fail the test right...? ...right?_

_"And you better not fail that test!" Bon repeated his thoughts out load and Rin jumped. _

_"Of course!"_

_"Then it's all good" Bon smirked as he headed off for lunch. Things weren't so bad between them, right? Rin felt foolish for ever thinking so. _

Rin's mind was fuzzy, and he kept snapping between reality and distant times. He'd just seen Shiemi and Bon, yet they weren't really here right? Where was he...now? He still seemed to be moving as if on a track, the blue walls still seemed to be gleaming behind his closed eye-lids. Then Rin heard a door open. It was just like last time except by then he had healed, could at least stand by this point in time. Rin would not be able to do anything in his state right now, and partly he felt sure somewhere inside he had given up trying. He could not...not this time...would he even come out of this alive?

_"Rin, hey Rin! Buddy... wake-up!"_

_It was Shima who was bothering him now. What did he want that required so much yelling? Go away. _

_"R-I-N!" He tugged Rin out of his bed and he fell to the floor, "You need to get up! We're late for class! Quick!"_

_Class? What class? Rin hadn't heard of such a thing before. What was this lunatic going on about? Bothering him so deeply in the middle of sleep?_

_"Put on your uniform hurry! Mr. Neuhaus will give us detentions again!"_

_Rin didn't move though. Something was off... this wasn't how his memory was supposed to go. Rin was supposed to get up, he was supposed to get up and dressed but he wasn't anymore. He was laying on the floor, asleep, and for some reason he couldn't move even if he wanted to. _

_"Wake-up, don't fall asleep Rin!" Shima shook him harder, "You need to wake-up, you can't go out now..."_

That's right. Rin remembered Shima... his messy hair and big smile. He was always joking about everything, and Rin could recall all the times they got in trouble during school for it. But why was he so concerned about waking up now? Rin didn't want to wake up. He was tired. And now...where was he now?

_"Rin"_

_Yukio stood, his glasses covering his eyes and most of his expression. It was as if he needed to say something but the words would not come out. Rin was happy...but sad at the same time. Why was he here? In front of him now? Rin had a bad feeling, he didn't know what was going to happen. And he needed to know... was this a dream? Was it real? Where was his brother? What was he trying to tell him?_

'Hehe...bring him...here'

Rin felt himself dropped slowly on the floor facing up. His body felt useless, and coldness ran up his back from somewhere all around, that icy cold so horribly familiar to him. He lifted his eyes and saw a high, caved-blue ceiling and he knew where he was. He stared up blankly as he looked to the man who had haunted his visions and senses, the man he knew he could not fight against anymore. He hadn't wanted to see him...Rin did not accept him... even if he accepted himself. And Rin could only vaguely wonder what was going to happen now.

'Don't worry...my cute little boy' He said it a little too seriously and it disturbed Rin as he knelt down, 'You won't feel... anything anymore...'

He was smiling down, black hair full of maddening blue all before a hand came over and he covered Rin's eyes. It was like he was blindfolded, a child that needed protection from all the dangers that encompassed his world. Immediately Rin felt panicked and wanted to see something; being forced into the darkness did not comfort him at all. And he couldn't stand not knowing what that man was doing while in his immobile body.

'It's painful for you to be here...' He spoke very quietly, 'it has hurt you both physically...mentally...all but in a short span of time since you have been here has it not? That you do not know anything...' And as he openly voiced some of Rin's most deepest thoughts and despairs, Rin's heart was beating him into pale, scared awareness. He heard him go on again, his hand still covering him in blindness,

'You have come back to me without any true sense of this world...without any knowledge at all. Heh...but it is not your fault; it is the humans fault and I shall not forgive them. It is cruel what has been done onto you...to be in this pitiful, powerless existence... bound to a sword for your life. To have grown and come here without fully being...prepared...' And suddenly his hand gripped over Rin's head, his skull and soon all feeling, even sound itself, was gone from his senses.

'Don't worry...you won't feel a thing' He heard his voice say in his mind, 'I promise you shall be free from now on'

What did he mean? What was he doing? Rin almost wanted to trust it, almost wanted to give in to that voice which offered him peace, ignorance to all the pain he felt right now. He was tired, so tired...and Rin wanted to stop fighting. In but a moment everything washed away. Rin could not move anymore, not feel anything anymore, and he could not even lift his arms in protest which lay uselessly by his side. His mind was falling... he could feel himself going into a dim state of consciousness and something like sleep started to overtake him. Was he-

But then something snapped, a sharp pain so powerful in his mind exploded and it consumed him the moment he let go.

It was as if he were splashed awake to the situation, the danger that was occurring. Rin reached to grab in the darkness, in his senseless, sightless state; stop, pull away the hand that was sucking his very soul, crushing him into his grave. And if instinct only drove him to, he grabbed the hand which was seizing his head; it didn't budge, but rather slammed him further down.

'You should have stayed asleep...my son' The voice laughed in his head, 'Oh well...I suppose you will feel something now'

What was he doing! Rin wanted to see with his eyes, hear something with his ears– he didn't know what was happening to him, and his hands feverishly pulled, fruitlessly scratched but all to no prevail. And only the hand existed in his being, the stabbing pain which reverberated deeply through his head, the hand which was covering his entire skull while sending waves of hurt and Rin screamed and screamed until his voice felt dry. He wanted it to stop, he wanted this pain to end! Where was he? Yukio wasn't here...his brother had gone forever and Rin had never felt so alone as he did just then. He was afraid, very afraid for what would happen to him if he fell to unconsciousness here; what would become of him? But the pain was so consuming, so blinding, and his hands were starting to feel too weak to hold on. But he had to stop it, he didn't want to give in anymore...Rin had changed his mind about wanting to sleep. With some of his last strained thoughts, through all the pain he was experiencing he imagined his brother Yukio; he wished he'd said something...he wished he had said...

In a sudden movement...Rin's final thoughts faded out completely. Everything faded from his reality as the pain engulfed him entirely. His arms fell out of resistance and dropped to the ground in their final place. And everything Rin had ever known, everything he had ever experienced... went suddenly into a pitch-black hole.

'It is done...'

And that was the last thing Rin ever heard.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

><p>"It is done..." He spoke only to himself.<p>

The room was completely silent, empty, and now he the only wakeful soul in that blue-lit chamber of his commands. He had wished to do the ceremony alone... in privacy after all his nightly affairs.

No more screaming, no more crying...no more desperate attempts to stop the blinding pain which was surely enveloping his senses. The body of Rin looked frozen in time, dead, the air around him cold as his breath came up in short bursts of ice. He appeared to be having trouble breathing by his strained gasps for air; or perhaps... Satan thought mildly... his son was just plagued by the nightmares of the hole which was surely filling his mind. It was true. He may have gone a little _too_ far in obliterating his son's entire being, self and thoughts, everything the boy ever knew all at once. He would admit...he could have lessened the damage dramatically if it weren't for his anger at the sword and remembrances of the humans who trifled him.

"What shall I do with you now, hm?"

And Satan could still hear those _screams_ which echoed so loudly just mere moments ago-! His voice which cut off so sharply, so shrilly, and now all was retreating into a distant corner as time grew on.

For a moment, the darkened man sat in contemplation, taking in the empty room and seats; no one was to enjoy this as much as he, for he had ordered all out of his sight while he attended the boy alone. Partly out of anger, partly out pride, now he felt like bursting into hysteria, deliria that at long last he had succeeded in-! But he held it back, his blue eyes dying down in intensity as he stared to the body before him, his smile reserved as it melted away on his parting lips. Because no matter what he said otherwise, no matter what Satan now had planned...losing the sword had..._undeniably_ altered his mood to do anything overly 'festive'; no, all visions of releasing his son's power while threatening the upper world was whisked away with the loss of the sword, and all that lay inside him was hollow and empty, stalk in the face of pure _humiliation! _Amusement could not be born out of such a situation, out of such a _price!_ No, he felt only satisfied in the fact that he was done with, completed, over at last; that now he could move on to... other matters... and finally, Satan could begin where he had left off after all those years ago.

Looking down to the pale body before him, he stopped all thoughts as a curious excitement lifted his eyes. For there was something else which was bothering Satan so deeply...something he had found in his son's mind which fascinated... and yet irked him to no end.

"Really...a child of_ mine _could be...?"

_He was so innocent!_ So _naive_, so _charming _in his frame of mind that even _he_ didn't believe it was possible! It intrigued him beyond bounds, and his empty emotions were slightly alleviated by this small, interesting fact. Satan tapped his fingers in rapid thought, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he considered the matter whole.

When the boy had first arrived... it had been quite fun to play with his fragile state of mind and memories. He was so overly-sensitive, just like himself, that when pushed to the ends of his patience he reacted so strongly, so wonderfully violent! He had found it rather amusing looking through all his missing years of life. But he had merely flickered through the most recent ones...the ones that stood out to him most...and bothered him in their content, yes. Now that he had seen most of the child's life... he did not expect him to be so stupidly _honest! _Even though he resembled his likeness the most...? Had all his powers and abilities lying dormant...? It wasn't as disgusting as it reminded him of his mother.

But no...this..._this_ was someone else's work and involvement! He had been overprotected by that damned Fujimoto and his exorcist subordinates his whole life. His son had not seen much of the world... he had been forced to live a life of seclusion, obeying orders and following the humans will. For having done such a thing...for turning his own child against him..._they_ would surely pay the price...and dearly.

Hehe...and what a fool Fujimoto had been! Treating the boy like family. He was_ his_ family, was he not? Yes, yes...he had seen all those lovely, lovely, _touching_ moments and rage at Fujimoto came back to him all the more.

"He is not yours... Fujimoto...".

He laughed, then smiled, remembering the moment he had finally killed him, that man who had been evading him for _years! _And even if it was... technically a suicide...Satan still delighted in his part of that man's death. It was a matter now settled...and even turned to odds...and he had finally gotten him... in the end.

"You've failed Fujimoto. He's here at last... and even despite your _dying_ efforts...all ended in vain." He stopped. "Ah, but..._you_ wouldn't have said so, would you have..._ Mephisto_?"

"Hehe, no, no I would not...". A familiar voice reverberated off the walls, an echo of unequal proportions dancing around the room, "but let me remind you, father, of what exactly we intend to play? Hehe, not even Shiro had a design in that!"

Silence. He was around here somewhere, but as his son was always playing mind games, surely not in person.

"You dare not show your face to me, after stealing _my _sword? Is this proof of your guilt, my _Son?_"

"Never!" An odd giggle greatly amused the other, and Satan looked around for the source, "I merely do not have time to head back right now. Besides, the humans wish to correspond with me personally–how can I let them down?"

"The way you have let me down? The evidence is here, your meddling is obvious! Do you honestly believe I do not see through your pathetic scam?" The flaming blue figure laughed to himself as got to his feet, then pulled forth a yellow toy from half-way across the room. He caught it, then tossed it to the ground. Stamping on it fiercely, he hissed,

"When we meet again, prepare thyself. I have already won this".

"That I will. And to be perfectly clear, I would advise you not to overdo yourself this time! Ha!"

And as the voice of Mephisto died out in a high-pitched squeal of the duck, with a lasting particle of sound, he was gone. The blue flames from Satan's body spilled forth as he picked up the quiet rubber toy. It was one of his son's famous creations, he knew; his spatial abilities to transpose both worlds via communication was marvellous indeed.

Satan breathed, let his body cool down, let his eyes go back to normalcy. He would ignore the threat of their game...for now. Instead...he would bring his purest little angel upstairs who was surely in need of some tainting.

* * *

><p>Yukio realized he had been staring too long when he could noticeably see the sky lightening on the horizon. It made his eyes go wide behind his spectacles, and for a moment, he forgot all his worries as he looked towards the brilliant scene. There really was...a light? A day; a sun? In Gehenna... it was not darkness forever? For some reason, that very thought surprised him, he had not thought such a thing even possible; it seemed a contradiction to all his previous studies.<p>

The light slowly progressed each second he stared, on the very edge of the horizon amidst the city of black. He knew morning was coming, wherever he was... and finally, after so very long, this night was coming to an end. A night of terror, fear, darkness from the storm; his confusion and tiredness, all was settling down into rays of light as it blurred his eyes and vision.

He felt so weary in his body, standing on the roof of a building he didn't quite know. He realized in that moment he had actually been up all night, attacked, running around, searching frantically for his brother without rest–it was no wonder he was both physically and mentally exhausted. In order to keep going, they would defiantly have to find a place to sleep.

Yukio didn't know what would become of him now, or where he would even go from here. Rin had been kidnapped, and this was not just a mission for himself...but also to fulfill his father's final request. Because Yukio knew that his success here... would affect both worlds one way or another...

_"Why, it's little Yukio, isn't it? You've grown up since I last saw you, have you not? How lovely... working for your father now, are you?"_

_ The young Okamura just stared at the strangely dressed man, his dark purple suit and top hat, the umbrella which he held lightly in his arms. He wondered what a stranger was doing here. Yukio was only on his way to the kitchens when he'd run into this bizarre figure randomly– visitors were not normally allowed in these parts of the church; how did he get in? And why did he seem to know him? _

_ "Ah, I'm sorry for my intrusion and abruptness." The man spoke softly, seeing the confusion in Yukio's eyes, "I suppose you wouldn't know me now... would you?" He patted young Yukio's hair down, then glanced around the empty corridor, _

_ "You wouldn't happen to know where you father is, would you?" He asked, _

_ "He's in his office. He has work to do... so unless it's something important..." Yukio stuck to the lines his father always told him to tell. He didn't usually want strangers to deal with after-hours, and for some reason he was always wary of unwanted guests._

_ "Well, aren't you the smart one, and for such a young age? Tell him, then." The man smiled, "'Sir Mephisto has come in regard to the matter he seeks'."_

_ Yukio just stood and stared, not sure what to do. He had work to finish; Yukio had to clean the kitchens and then get ready for his training after dinner. His father didn't like to be bothered during this time of day, often staying shut in his study for hours. He didn't want to bother him on such short notice; yet... looking up at the man who was noticeably taller than he was, staring down at him and waiting for an answer, Yukio felt incredibly small. He didn't normally feel like this, even if he was only seven years old. Yukio never before felt so distant from the world of adults, so distant in understanding as he did just then–for to the man before him, he really was but a helpless child. In the end, Yukio could only blubber out his response which proved him all the more correct. Why did his body always work against him...? _

_ "O-Ok, I'll go and-" He stumbled backwards._

_ "Wait a moment-" The man named Mephisto suddenly grabbed him, pulling him back by his sleeve and Yukio felt alarmed by the unexpected attack, _

_ "How is... your brother hm? Do you really expect me to believe you are here, alone, while he if off goodness knows where? Where is... he...?" Mephisto's eyes bored into Yukio's, the last question sounding strained. He was never to answer questions about his brother, and personally... Yukio hadn't expected this situation to occur so soon. What did he want with his brother? Yukio struggled for a moment in his grip before a loud BANG startled them both. Mephisto let go at once, and Yukio saw his father coming down the far off hallway, slamming open the door and striding towards them at full speed. _

_ "Mephisto... what have I told you when you are to be visiting? Do not interrogate my son. Rin is at school right now, so I'm afraid you won't be able to meet him just yet." _

_ Yukio held back his shock at the situation, the tension which seemed to fill the air between the two men. His father looked mean, irritable as he came closer; Yukio had never witnessed such an expression cross his gentle face. He also had to bite his tongue before he gave away that he knew his father was lying. Rin was not at school, and in fact he was just in the other room asleep. He always took a nap around this time recently...Yukio was slightly jealous that he got away from chores, but anyone who lived here knew his brother had odd sleeping habits._

_ "My sincerest apologies, Shiro. I have overstepped my boundaries yet again, haven't I? I only wished to-"_

_ "Yes yes, never mind. Come with me. We have much to discuss." The father turned to leave, heading back to his office before quickly looking to Yukio who was standing so unsure, _

_ "Yukio, go back to your room for a while, look after things. Don't bother with the cleaning anymore, you've done enough."_

_ "But-" _

_ "Yes my dear Yukio, please do listen to your father. Look after your sibling for me, will you?", Mephisto didn't look at him while he spoke, but all Yukio could do was gawk open mouthed: how did he know? His father didn't seem too concerned that the lie had been discovered, and he quickly turned around at a fast pace, leading the man further into the church. Both men disappeared behind the wood which ended in a sharp snap. _

_ Yukio waited for a split-second, then headed back. He would obey his father's orders, but all the time he wondered what that man had wanted, what business he had with his father. He had never seen him around before, yet he knew both Yukio and Rin. Who was he...? What relation did he have to the church? He had such a strange look in his eye, and the way he had spoken to Yukio seemed odd. He would... have to ask his father later..._

"Alright, let's go".

Yukio suddenly turned to the group, away from the towered city and back to reality. They had been looking at the walls far too long, now they had no time to waste in finding a shelter. Yukio didn't have the slightest clue how they were ever going to get over the wall barrier, but for now that was the least of their concerns. They would deal with that problem when they got there... for now they just needed to survive. In their small refuge a while back, if their principal had not stepped in to save them, even Yukio had to admit... they would've been done for. If the demons living here suddenly decided to come out, they would all die. The most important task was keeping their presences hidden, and finding the perfect way to stay safe.

He had recharged all of his bullets since the incident, and the others had taken some weapons for themselves. Shiemi, it appeared, didn't mind holding onto a small exorcist-knife in her coat. Bon had been forced to take an extra gun despite his resistance to non-verbal attacking (which he preferred above all else). Shima, though you wouldn't have guessed by his funny attitude, had much training in the art of sword by his family; he had found a katana hidden deep inside and decided to carry it. Though by all common sense, it was physically impossible to hold such things in a single backpack; the bag, they later realized, must have been cast with spells to allow for large and multiple possessions. Their principal was a demon now, and Yukio couldn't question the extent of his abilities.

"Hey guys, what's over here?"

Shima had been roaming around the empty roof-top, Bon following vaguely behind, perhaps to stop his stupid friend from doing anything too revealing. Shima was standing at the far off end, looking back to Yukio with a curious expression. He was standing next to a door, the door inside to the interior of the building. Bon was arguing with him, but Yukio couldn't hear what.

"Hey Yuki...", Shiemi asked a little quietly beside him, and a little sadly so that even Yukio was generally surprised, "Do you think Rin is alright?"

Yukio looked at her through his depressed image, his broken glasses and dampened demeanour. The rain had stopped by now, and he noticed she was holding something cupped in her hand, like a lost prayer of lost meanings. He looked back to Shima and Bon who were still arguing, but it was turning more into play as they practiced their fighting.

"I don't know", He said at last, the most honest answer he'd said all day. He really didn't know anything anymore, and all his concerns of his brother's safety were revealed in that one line. Because Yukio didn't know if Rin was alright. And most likely...considering where he was... he was probably... not.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Fujimoto, don't you wish you could have seen the day?"<p>

Satan walked down the corridors alone, his perfect creation now enclosed within his hands. The boy would have to be kept a secret now...shut away in the darkest corners of the tower. No one must know of his existence...lest the humans find out that even _he_ was being delayed in their ultimate destruction and death! They would never get over it, they would prepare for war against him. It wasn't the correct time to begin his war... with the sword gone. One only had to be patient for the time to arrive...

When he reached the upper rooms, he dropped the dead-looking boy into a chair.

He was just below the top floor of the northern tower. It was a place previously designed for children he wanted to keep watch over. Especially his three eldest sons. They were dangerous, the first beings of birth...always scheming behind his back, plotting against him. Things would be different this time around. He would use the entire floor to keep his son in line. He would have to wait until he was ready to begin the training, however...it would take a while for his mind to heal.

"But we can have a little fun before then, can't we?" He knelt down to hold Rin's limp hand, "Revenge and tolerance. I have tolerated their existence...now they shall learn at what price".

With a quick glance outside the large window, Satan realized he had go. Of course, it wouldn't kill him to stay...but he hated the red sun with a burning passion.

"I'll be back soon..." He smiled, got up, and as he finished locking the door with a scrape of his nail, Satan erupted into flames of a dissipating blue.

* * *

><p><em>Yukio opened the door to his bedroom, and little to his surprise, his brother was still sleeping. Yukio was not all that tired, but he knew he shouldn't go wandering around and stay hidden. He didn't know what was going on, or even if his training was cancelled... but right now he'd wait for further developments. He'd watch over his brother, that's what his father expected him to do, after all; it was only a year ago since he started his journey to become an exorcist. Could-could he handle this...? <em>

"I'm sorry I used a summon", Shiemi finally admitted to Yukio, bravely, finally getting the matter off her chest, "I didn't mean to...I-I thought it would help..."

Yukio was sort of surprised at her apology, not really thinking much of it since. He was just glad they had escaped and no one seriously injured. Shiemi had used a summoning paper during their fight which, thankfully, had not worked. Yukio had yelled at her in panic which sparked the demon to action. He didn't know why the principal packed such a useless item; how could they summon beings in a world where there was nothing to summon? One thing was certain, however...was that Yukio didn't really want to find out...

_What was he doing? Why was he heading back to the office...? _

_ Yukio had tried to wake his brother...but in alarm Rin did not move. He rolled him over to his front, and Yukio got a shock at how pale he looked...almost like he was dead. Yukio checked his heart–it was just barely beating, a slow rhythm against his chest; something was wrong. In fear and something else, Yukio ran out of the room as fast he could. Maybe this wasn't the best decision to leave his brother alone... but Yukio needed to get his father and bring him here at once. He was all sweaty from nerves, running down the corridors and hallways with fast feet–his first experience at protecting his brother and he had failed! Rin was now dying and he didn't know what to do! _

_ Yukio made it to the office at last, huffing loudly. But as he reached out for the doorknob...he heard a yell, a shout, and something crash into a thousand shards against a distant wall. And someone was rather close too, for a body banged against the door, a loud thud causing Yukio to jump back at the fight apparently going on inside. _

_ "I told you, I cannot reseal unless–"_

_ "The sword needs to be redone entirely now! And you're handy work didn't stay... his life is in danger now, is it not?"_

_ "Goodness Shiro, what do you want me to say?" A voice muffled angrily through the door, " I need to see him in order to do anything, would you rather me work with my eyes closed? It isn't my fault his power is too much to handle. Are you afraid, is that it?" The voice pushed on tensely, "Afraid of him... finding out? We made a deal, if you desire to break it now–" _

_ A sigh followed, and the weight slowly lifted from the door as someone eased off. Yukio could hear them both, and although he had no idea what was going on, he felt hesitant to knock all of a sudden. Like he would be interrupting something important and he needed to wait._

_ "He nearly let himself loose today... in the school. I don't know how he broke it...or what happened to make him go that far– his emotions have always been all over the place. I brought him back home...but I had no choice but to put him to sleep. I knew it was going to break... soon; I could see...I tried to prevent it from happening but I was... too late." _

_ "Let's just be thankful it didn't happen any more publically than it did. Bring him in here then, Shiro, so I can begin the process. If he is asleep, he won't remember much... is that alright with you? I need to see him in order to assess the damage, but if you don't trust me enough then by all means... stay here and watch. Though it may take a few days...I don't know how far his state is gone just by looking at this blade alone."_

_ "Can you not merely fix the...?"_

_ "No, Shiro. I need to do it like I did the first time. I'm afraid that man may have found of the sword's existence...by now. We need to hurry before this minor problem... gets any more out of hand."_

_ A long silence followed, and a shuffling of feet told Yukio that it was now or never. He knocked quietly, and Yukio's small self felt a little scared at what he was doing, and which man would answer his call. For some reason he didn't want it to be his father, but such wishes were never granted._

_ "Yukio? What are you–" _

_ "R-Rin..." Yukio mouthed breathlessly; he didn't look his father in the eyes... he hoped he was not wrong in coming here but he pressed on to his worries, "Rin is in trouble, I-I felt his heart and he won't–"_

_ "It's ok Yukio..." His father looked agitated and sighed, "Your brother is fine. Please... just..." He held his shoulder tight for a moment, his eyes distant behind his glasses and he looked away, "Just go outside and play for a while. We'll continue your training... tomorrow."_

_ He rushed out of the room and left him standing by the open door. Yukio felt a little lost and... unexpectedly sad. He didn't know what was going on... he hadn't understood a thing... only that it felt like his brother was more important than he was. He retracted his feelings at once; when did he become so... selfish...? The man called Mephisto came out of the room, took one look at him, then stared down the empty hallway,_

_ "Do not worry about it." He said in a blank tone, "Although you may not believe me...we have much in common. You'll see in time. Things will change."_

_ "How...?"_

_ He held up Yukio's stunned face for a moment, his eyes searching, "Haha...my, how much you remind me of...? Isn't rather funny...how all these things work out..." _

_ The man turned on his heel and headed back to the couch to wait. Yukio didn't understand what he meant, but everything in his life had never felt so confusing as it did just then. He obeyed his fathers words, left them alone, and did not return to his room or check on his brother again. If Rin was alright...then it was fine if he was alone for a while. It was fine if he missed a lesson today, just as long as Rin was alright. That was the goal, wasn't it? That was the reason..._

A shout far away awoke Yukio to his surroundings. Why was he remembering the first time he met with...? He saw Bon and Shima struggling in the distance, then rushed forward ahead of Shiemi; When he finally reached the pair, he understood what the commotion was about.

"Y-you...?"

Yukio could still remember that small face, that slim frame and curved skeletal spine; even though he had seen him just once, the demon who had escaped the house remained freightingly familiar. Yukio had thought he would run away into hiding, or considering his fear of the principal and death of his friend, he wouldn't dare return. Yukio had been naive not to consider him a threat to their safety.

"He nearly overtook me, but I got Bon to get around him..." Shima explained while holding onto his miniscule arm. Bon was gripping the other securely.

Yukio breathed a sigh of relief. This small thing had escaped them before. If it escaped again, their safety would have been seriously compromised.

"Good work, Shima, but what should we–"

"Of course we kill it." Shima withdrew the sword from his sheathe, "How else do we deal with him? He's a hazard waiting to get us eaten. Besides, he can't even understand our–"

A rasping sound of pain came from the creature's small form. Either Shima and Bon were gripping him too tight, or he was having a fit of some sort. To Yukio's surprise, however, the creature wasn't having a panic attack at all, merely laughing at the humans who believed themselves so sure. Yukio could hear the pride drip off his edgy tone. Shima, in turn, drew his sword to the demon's neck coldly. No way around it, he would kill him swiftly.

"Wait!" Shiemi yelled, her voice reminding Yukio of her silent presence with a jump. He felt a sudden panic–he didn't want her to see such a gruesome scene...then he rationalized. Eventually she would see much worse. She stepped between Shima and Bon, then took the bladed hand and slowly lifted the sword away. Shima was in partial shock and anger, unable to comprehend.

"What are you doing? Don't you see we need to–"

"Let go! Don't kill me!" At his first chance to speak, the demon shouted to his lungs and all fighting stopped to listen to the strangeness of communicating with their first demon encounter. Yukio had thought him incapable of speech, which greatly surprised him.

"Let's make a deal...if you don't wish to die, then listen to what I have to say!" His eyes darted all around him, apparently fearful that at any moment they could be attacked.

"They hunt on fear alone. The King's assassins...they are coming for you."

"What?" Yukio's eyes went wide behind his glasses.

"Yes..." The tiny form looked to Yukio alone, his yellowish eyes slanted like slits, "But if you let me live...I can help... you."

"He's lying of course." Shima was quick to point out the obvious. He never did trust a single demon, no matter how weak they appeared before him. That was the lesson he learnt the hard way. He gripped the arm tighter.

"Ah! Let go! I say I have help! Don't kill me!" He struggled for a bit, and Bon let go of the creature in disgust for his pathetic, frantic pleas. For some reason Shima refused to give in.

"Shima!" Shiemi pleaded with him, but still he was gripping the arm while holding onto his sword,

"What do you say?"

The question was directed straight at Yukio–for the first time, Shima authorized his place as group leader. Being more experienced in exorcism than the rest, all signs and common knowledge told him to get rid of the threat. This small demon was a danger to their well-being; if he told anyone of their whereabouts... if he ran off with the knowledge that they were here...all could lead to their sudden deaths. Logically, it was best to get rid of any obstacles or hazards, but a single question was making Yukio hesitate. He didn't trust him, he didn't trust any living thing in this hellish world besides his brother Rin. But what would drive him to help a human? It wasn't in his nature. Perhaps it was the yellow movement of his quick eyes, or the slight licking of his lips that told Yukio he could have information...information they could use; was it worth taking the risk, though?

Yukio nodded his head slightly and Shima, without a word, pushed the small creature aside. He continued to have his sword out just in case.

"And don't try anything funny."

"No _Sire_." The little demon mocked and bowed, then turned to look at Yukio.

"You are young. Younger than the old. You may call me by the name of Kan. It's no use trying to get _you_ to understand our language."

Younger than the old? "Yukio...Yukio Okamura"

"I see. I know you are the lost exorcists..." He kept his lips deliberately shut, and Yukio had to question at his surprised, yet not so surprised, reaction. Yukio detested him already, he knew the demon couldn't be trusted. But the other thing that caught his attention was his apparent knowledge of the situation: lost exorcists...so he did have things they could use.

"Let me get to our deal..." The demon called Kan continued in silence, sitting down on his knees to show he had no intention of leaving.

"The assassins are coming for you. The Kings personal guards. _He_ knows of your existence... but if you hurry and follow me, I can lead you to a hideaway. They can't come out in the day, they burn like melting ice. We can make a deal. You spare me my life, and I shall help you in return. What do you say?"

Yukio noticed the gleam in his words, yet he didn't seem to be lying about the assassins, from what Yukio could tell; the reason being that he himself had a nagging feeling in his stomach that they were being followed. It was the only explanation for the sickening dread and anxieties that accompanied him everywhere.

"What will you do to help us? Clearly you could leave us to die, or lead us into a trap. What makes it certain we can trust you?"

"I live upon my honour. If I ever disobey the agreement of our terms, I shall personally seek to my own demise. The other who died by the traitor prince... he was a correspondent I made along my travels. I was to meet him and he was to give me a treasure.".

"What treasure?" Bon was quick to ask, yet a sleek smile grimaced the others cheek as he looked over.

"Now now, I am in no obligation to tell you that. Not part of the deal. My life for your safety, remember."

"Damn you," Bon muttered, kicked the dirt and then turned back to watching him closely.

He felt unsure about trusting him, but Yukio also felt he didn't have a choice. The day was coming fast. He didn't know where to go from here, he didn't know a thing about this world despite all his learning and study. He felt entirely useless, that he couldn't do anything to get by, and having to rely on someone else, a demon no less...

"Lead us then... and we'll see if you're lying" He commanded in a tone of pure coldness while holding out his gun.

The tiny demon ran towards the rooftop door. He stepped inside, then casually waited for the others to follow. Yukio gave a slight inclination of his head to show that even despite their apparent trust... all should be prepared for the worst. It was just like what his father had said with...

_"Who was that man...?" He asked his father a few days later in his office, "How did he know me and-and Rin?"_

_ "He is the principal of True Cross Academy... and a man of many different faces." Father Fujimoto was bent over his paper work, but looked up at the sudden inquiry from his, rather smart, son. Shiro knew he couldn't get away without a decent explanation. Yukio was overly questioning for his age, his language and observation far beyond his peers. He placed his hands over his mouth and addressed the topic seriously._

_ "He is an important member of the Exorcist Order... and one who has earned much respect for his contributions to the exorcist society. If you meet him again, Yukio...which I don't doubt...be wary."_

_ "Why?" Yukio at first thought him a bit scary, true, but maybe he wasn't so bad..._

_ "He is...a long time acquaintance of mine. He always keeps his word... but don't promise him anything –equally don't expect anything in return. Anything he says is questionable. He is bound by... duties... so trust him...only at your own strength."_

* * *

><p>"My, how cold. I only came to say good-bye and look at the greetings I am presented with!"<p>

Stepping through the open window, it was no surprise that the second son of the eldest trio had made his way up to the northern tower unseen. Mephisto sat quietly on the window sill despite his need to hurry on with business, stared into the room of his former life now mildly adjusted to suit his brother. He dusted himself off, then searched the darkness with his eyes. Carefully analyzing the ancient decor, he noted a figure against a distant chair. He also noted how the boy was all but shape and form, a shadow now perfected in absolute stillness. So... the deed was done.

Mephisto walked towards the blank face of a once lively fifteen-year old boy, recklessness and full of life; even he had to admit...it quite the striking contrast. He stepped in front of him, a shadow from the wall casting over his face.

"Did I not I tell you, my dear Rin? Warn you against the inevitable? Ah, but... never mind that. Let us see now... how far he has taken you.".

He pulled Rin closer by the collar. With a light touch of his hair, Mephisto saw by the blackness of his eyes that he was gone much further than expected. He was gone much further than even Mephisto was prepared for! In such a state, the boy would not remember a thing...

Rage settled into his soul, the thoughts of his previous anger not yet vanished. He wanted to take the boy right now, bring him back home to safety in the school ...he had to suppress the urge. Seeing his hard work reduced to such a state was no easy thing to witness.

"Fujimoto...I have kept my promise, and I do intend to keep it now. I shall give you a parting gift, my dear brother...a gift... though this time...you shall know it not."

Yes, he knew from the moment Rin was let down to this world, his father would attempted to change almost every aspect of his mind. But the boy was perfect, in Mephisto's eyes, just the way he was. He had grown to his liking over the years, completely unpredictable... bendable...and yet so refreshing! A piece truly worthy of praise. Now, however...all was ruined. His father could have his way... for now... but Mephisto would grant him one thing in return. Call it a birthday gift, he knew it was the tide he needed to change all future events.

"You shall have your name."

Though he was not particularly adept at memory skill, Mephisto was surely able to grant a name... if that was the most he could do in such a situation. He had not hoped for such a dismal case, but with Rin's former memories gone and washed away...a name would become everything.

The sky was gathering light outside the window. Mephisto finished the ritual in a soft brush of wind. He patted Rin's hair down despite the bare look, the emotionless face of coldness as he lay unconscious. He pushed Rin backwards in the chair, then left him once more to sleep.

"It's time for me to go now."

He wouldn't be back for quite a while, he knew. He was sure Rin would be taken good care of. He would certainly be well protected...that was least of his concerns. What was more pressing matter to him... was the fact that he could now be changed! Everything was up in the air. Everything from this point onwards... would be the greatest gamble Mephisto had ever made.

"Do your best." And with a gleaming smile, he climbed over to the open window, extended his wings and flew outside into the coming day. In another second, he was gone.

The boy on the chair continued to sleep, his breathing even, but deep into his mind things were vanishing. Then something grabbed hold of him, and pulled into him the only piece of familiarity left.

His name was Rin.

* * *

><p><em>;<em>

_;_

_;_

_;_

_Longish note:_

_ i'm so sorry I left my story for so long :( :( I kept saying..."okay I'll update next month, next month, next month", and pretty soon a whole year had gone by! lol...I keep on apologizing every chapter, it's horrible.  
><em>

_I'm also sorry if my writing is bad this time around...I feel I can't live up to expectations, so I just write what I will and that's all. The story is going so far how I wanted, I did delete some scenes/memories though in this chapter because they bothered me, but I decided that maybe I'll write them again later on. I hope I can achieve my ending, if not, then I hope that I can at least get to a good part *wink*  
><em>

_I also am very thankful for all comments made to the story. It made me very happy :) I hope this chapter is alright, and I hope I can improve in coming chapters. I'm sort of self-conscious about my writing/story...so it takes me a very long time to gather myself to update...  
><em>

_I think that each chapter length is variable to me... I only have ever written what I want to include in each chapter, so I hope that's ok.  
><em>

_*Also, here is the answer to moonlit's historical question of many months ago that I promised I would answer but never got around to it (lol):_

_"Are Yukio and the others following human time or demon time for one month?"_

_Well, ahem, to answer this question...it is important to remember that time is relevant to where you are. Since they passed through the barrier, Yukio and the others are now following "demonic time". But this does not mean Mephisto was wrong to say they have "one month". One month in the other world can "feel" exactly the same as one month human time. It's only when you compare the two worlds would anyone notice a difference. That's why Mephisto didn't need to explain, because to Yukio and the others it "is" one month. To Izumo, however, one month could be quite a while from her point of view. Hope that explains...  
><em>

_Alright, that's all...thanks if you read this far, lol..._


	11. Chapter 11

_here is another chapter :O  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

* * *

><p>Arthur Auguste Angel sat in his comforted wooden chair, wrote in his stylish new pen, all the while going through his most recent reports in his new office at True Cross Academy.<p>

His room was a little small, true... a little too stuffy for his liking– but still, his happiness at the current situation could not be contained to such trifles. For Arthur, Paladin, leader of the Exorcist's Order, had finally gotten his revenge. Yes. Ever since his humiliating defeat that day, a week ago in the council meeting, Angel had spent restless days and nights envisioning what sort of punishments he could administer on his newest rival "sir" Mephisto Pheles. For although the old fools still trusted that demon blindly, it was still required that as a _member_ of the council he pay for the price of his actions. He had practically turned the school into a playground of demons under his wild care! Not to mention losing a spawn of Satan who was so obviously a danger...it could only be imagined what that devil was planning. Arthur had searched desperately for the most fitting retribution, the most suitable way to end that man's delusions about his place in society. In the end, it came to him one glorious night, one simple thought... and the only thing that man cared about most in the world: _the school._

It hadn't taken much to convince the elders. They too had needed to come to a decision for the time being. And what better way to punish him than take away the rights of the very foundation he had failed to defend? Angel had taken the time to explain that the causes of their current dilemma was a direct consequence of Mephisto's faulty "protections" around the school; and, that in such a dangerous time of possible attacks, what better person than the Paladin himself to takeover in his place? It was agreed on most unanimously, and the most magnificent part about it all was...not even _that man _could weasel his way out of it! He had lost the moment Angel was made Paladin, the moment he underestimated Angel's own willingness to catch a demons crimes and ensure justice...

_...one week ago..._

_"I see." _

_ "So, you understand then, that we cannot keep our promise in regards to your ownership over the establishment?" _

_The council elder spoke down from his seat above, the court room quiet in anticipation, the message clear._

_ "For holding such dangerous secrets behind the Order's back, as well as your inability to protect this school and its students from a terrible disaster...we of the Council have decided to see this as a breach in our first agreement. You can no longer be Leader of this Academy, Mephisto Pheles...however..." His voice cracked as he coughed, "we still wish for you to remain here... under our guidance... and support. If you understand? __With the current crisis at hand...it's best to be safe. __" _

_ "Yes. I understand this well." Mephisto finished quietly and solemnly. He stood remarkably still despite this being the most drastic news to reach him yet. _

_ "Well then" Angel spoke over the hushed mood, looking around in an attempt to end the business quickly, _

_ "Why don't we finish up the little details here and hurry on to more... important matters?" He stood up from his seat despite the anxious mood and atmosphere all around. Looking at the demon wreck before him now, so sad, so lost without his precious Academy... he kept his calm, and with a few deep breaths, continued with a note of seriousness, _

_ "I will be taking over the Academy, then, as we have all agreed upon? It is the safest choice. Starting next week I shall–"_

_ "Ha, ha! Do you really think you are capable of handling such a magnificent building?" The surprise startled everyone. Mephisto spoke over in fast succession, "Not to be rude, Arthur, but let me remind you–" _

_ And every eye lay on him as if mesmerized by his word, his grace and elegance as he spoke from the ground floor up. He took out his sword, and the room flooded with gasps as he struck the area by his feet; an unknown mist starting to form in a dark aura. It shined for a moment, then cast into a steady black hole. Every breath awaited his next words, and the silence that followed his unexplained actions,_

_ "I am not your enemy," Said he, "But I warn you now–you will come to regret this choice. If you desire to get rid of me... you shall come to know true hell. But even so, do you still wish... to let me–" _

_ "What is the meaning of this, Mephisto? Are you threatening war!" The council elder spoke in a shaky tone, pale and chalk white at the situation he didn't quite know what to make of. _

_ "You misunderstand me." Mephisto Pheles sighed, "Am I always to be... misunderstood...?" He put on a face, but in an instant smiled sharply and grinned, regaining his former self and confident composure. _

_ "I merely mean to warn you... that you _will_ come to regret this choice! And soon...soon you shall see why. But I will take my leave, if that is... what you wish." He turned on his heel, then strode towards the door at full speed._

_ "I believe we will see each other soon, and at that time, I wish you to remember my mark here as a mark of my words! At that time, remember what Mephisto Pheles said!"_

_ "Hey! Where are you-?!" Angel shouted in fury, but before he could finish, Mephisto tipped his hat and spun around in a disappearing flourish, an act of pure magic that left the hall in chills. Angel got up from his seat, screamed for others to grab him but too late–his voice was somehow distant among the outcry, the gasps of amazement, the black spot Mephisto had left on the ground, and the finishing flash of purple where the man had stood just moments before... _

Starting today, Angel was officially the newest principal of True Cross Academy. He wasn't much of a school person, really, but as long as he got rid of a danger, got that man where it hurt him most; Angel wouldn't take his comments to heart, his petty attempts to scare them all back into submission. The hole he had left was still under investigation, its contents unclear.

Yet this school was in need of drastic change– a _demon _was not to be trusted yet why did no one see? Well, he would make the council see, he would make the students see...they would see the wrongdoings of ever requesting the help of a demon.

"And that Kamiki girl needs to be taught a lesson too...", Angel idly spoke while jotting down a few notes. Now as principal, he had complete control over what the students were learning. With his extra authority in the exorcists division, it was almost like he had free reign. A new curriculum was in need was it not? If students were talking about working with demons... hah! They would see the truth in a matter of days. Angel was not to be pushed around...the school was now his.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and a moment later revealed a one-eyed man with short brown hair. Arthur, barely looking up from his papers before him, with a small wave of his hand gestured him inside. When he was finished, Angel looked up to his informant, interested for any news... about a certain matter which was getting out of hand indeed.

"Arthur, I have the newest report. Would you like me to lay out the details?"

"Yes, go on, now. We don't have time and as you can see..." He looked around the messy, over-crowded classroom with a flat expression of suppressed rage. He wouldn't let this go on any longer, he wouldn't let that man spoil his victory.

"We have word of mouth that Mephisto has not left the school... since his demotion."

Somehow... Angel not too shocked. Of course he wouldn't leave. If he fell out of communication with the Order completely, he would be seen a possible traitor...and that demon did everything he could to gain the loyalty of the council. Angel contemplated this for few moments before his informant went on,

"However, his location is not known. We assume he went into hiding after... the incident...as I'm sure you remember. He is corresponding with us through vague messages, though he still refuses to give up the-"

"So, it's it still no good, is it?" Angel tapped his pen harshly against the wood, his eyes turning cold, analyzing the man who stood before him in a sudden awareness. He was a good spy for Angel to have acquired, a skilled man in summons and connected to many of the inner, darker offices of both demons and humans alike. He had given him invaluable information since Mephisto's disappearance, a man who was known to work personally under him for many years. He had obediently come to Arthur's side when things turned for the worst. He had told Angel a rather interesting piece of news he was dying to find out if true.

"So how far have we gotten, then? Have you at least managed to-"

"No, it appears Sir Mephisto has put protections all around the entire front door of his office. He is very skilled, as I'm sure you know, in magical barriers, and it will still take time to determine what exactly he has done to prevent us from entering".

Angel did not like to hear this lack of progress. It had been nearly a week since they first set out to evacuate the room for Angel's arrival, but no sooner had they realized Mephisto's departure did they realize he had barricaded its access inside. _And he had escaped the questioning!_ No matter what sort of threats were put against him, he still continued to test the Order's patience. As principal of the Academy, having a single room out of his grasp was something that Angel could not tolerate; why did he always get the better of him, force him to reside in an abandoned classroom instead of his rightful area at the top? Angel laughed bitterly at his own failings before going on,

"Can you imagine, Neuhaus, what secrets he's hiding in there if he is willing to go as far as this? Alright. Continue the research and tell me tonight what the status of the door is. If worse comes to worst, I'll break it down myself."

"And... what do you wish me to do about...?" The one-eyed man trailed off, looking at Arthur expectantly.

"Ah yes..." Angel smirked as he flipped through his notebook in front, coming to a rest on a certain teenage girl's photograph. Tapping it lightly, he spoke in a hurried whisper,

"So, as we agreed, you'll be her teacher in acts of the operation. I'll be watching over from the exorcist division. The Order has taken my suggestion, respectfully, on your behalf, so you will begin your duties tonight as planned. I've also arranged... for another trusted member of our league to watch over the situation, if you don't mind. Perhaps he can take over from time to time. Make sure she learns to summon correctly, yes, but remember to report if things go too far. It is likely Mephisto will try to contact her at some point, so make sure to... keep a good eye out."

"Then I'll be going sir." Igor Neuhaus bowed, turned, then stepped out of the room with an air of dignity, ignoring Angel's apparent joke without a laugh. But what Arthur didn't know was that a certain smile lifted the man's lips as he made his way down the hall, one which was completely unrelated in its origins...

* * *

><p>Step. He opened the door. Click. He shut himself inside.<p>

It was dark, cool, the curtains softly closed against the afternoon sky. He leaned against the door, took a few deep breaths, then made his way over and sat down on the small cot by the wall. The room he inhabited now was bare, lack of anything colourful in the dreary silence as he stared dead end at the door.

Mephisto was now living in a small room of his own creation, a hideaway residing at the top of nothing. It was a room he had designed previously, many years ago, in his earliest plans for the school; perhaps its usage now was for this very purpose, a small escape route while still keeping a look out, a room so close to the action and yet still... so far from anyone's grasp. Mephisto laughed bitterly at the loss of his Academy, a dry, unamused laugh that died as quickly as it begun. His hat lay beside him, his cloak and boots shoved near the door. He closed his eyes for a moment. He was thinking, thinking, thinking! Of what? What did Mephisto want? He would not let these thoughts over take him, he would remain most calm if anything.

Yes... Mephisto had warned them, they really would see the truth in a matter in time. Time... that was something he was waiting for as well. Mephisto took out his watch to check the human-demon ratio again. He was expecting three of his spies any minute now, in the order he had instructed them. One of old, one of new, and one certain to be of some use in the final game. The first was to be coming rather soon. He got up and walked around, hands behind his back, thoughts trailing after him–he never liked to stay still, his mind was always itching for something to amuse with...

_ "Is it working?" The fatherly priest sat on the couch of his office, watching his son undergo a process he'd rather not see. _

_ "Yes." Mephisto answered, his hands over top the body, pressing the remaining seal into Rin's chest, "It should fix the fracture now. It will still be a few days before he heals completely, though". _

_ A great sigh followed, and Mephisto looked over to where Shiro sat. He was hunched over, grief in his eyes, the torture of having to watch his child go through pain and pain again–in and out of times Rin would scream loudly, wake up in a cold sweat, then fall back again as sleep pressed in on him. It was an endless suffering. An endless routine.  
><em>

Now was he suffering, Mephisto wondered while pacing the room back and forth, was he suffering now just like Fujimoto feared?

"You called for me, sir?" His guest appeared in the middle of the room, a flat circle of triangular proportions enclosed around his feet. The patched man studied the room with interest, then turned to face the shadows.

"I presume you did as I asked, then?" Mephisto stood a distance away, heading back to reality as he vanished the image of Shiro and Rin from his mind. It was too late now.

Neuhaus laughed a chuckle, his eye shifting nervously to search for the voice. He looked inside the strange room, the closed curtains, but more noticeably, the aura surrounding a sheet of darkness just opposite of him. Black eyes stared coldly through the screen.

"Yes. He means to break down the office door." He started, but with a slight hesitation added, "as well he plans to keep watch over the girl. I have gained Arthur's trust over the past few weeks and–".

"And what was the price?" Mephisto Pheles inquired quietly over his hands,

"I knew I couldn't get anywhere without revealing _that_. Arthur is now aware of the sword's existence, it was the only thing I could use. What he will do with that knowledge, however, is another issue I've yet to find." Neuhaus finished with a sigh, but to his utter astonishment, the person in front of him laughed to a light-hearted chuckle.

"Then it is settled." He answered, "We shall let the happenings commence... we shall do nothing to stop it now."

Though he didn't know what he was referring to, for the first time with Mephisto, Igor trembled in the wake of a sudden coldness, a chill that filled the air with a freezing wind –he had never before made the comparison between his master and Satan... but those eyes that held a thousand fires of pure hatred and beyond, revenge hidden deep within... he questioned for the first time which one was the true devil.

_Of course,_ he shook his head, _the_ _true evil is Satan._ _That's why I'm here in the first place. Revenge._

"And the boy?" Neuhaus whispered softly into the room, and his voice couldn't help but reveal again his own uncertainty. He was, after all, Rin's previous teacher–he had tricked his student into living a life in hell. But then again, Igor knew he was no ordinary student either; perhaps he'd be right at home. He noticed how bitter his thoughts were when he recollected the fact that he had returned Satan's precious son for free. He had done as his master asked... he wondered at what cost.

"You mean Rin? He's doing fine. Or at least, he will be. I am personally making sure of that".

"And is he..."

"Whether or not he is the true heir? Whether or not he holds the flames of power? Yes, he does." Mephisto said simply and to the point, then closed his eyes, "But whether that is put to good use or not depends entirely on your skill here".

"I can teach her the basics, but anything beyond that will be difficult to–"

"She can learn." Mephisto said, his voice stilled, "I've seen her will. She has a strong desire to succeed."

"Yes." Neuhaus gave up resistance to his own skepticism, his inner feelings of doubt. She was just a girl. She was good in his class, yes, but nothing great. He bowed low, showing his respect all while gathering the signal that it was time for him to leave. He stood back up, but in a moment he noticed the shadows of the bed were gone. Where was–

"And remember," A voice called out from the distance, material disintegrating before his eyes and Igor realized he was being transported back to the school, "Give Arthur my respect. We'll meet again soon. I'll send word."

And with a flash and a bang, Neuhaus fell to the ground where the summoning circle had been. His hair dripping with sweat, the circle faded into the realm of white, shined, and then... it was gone.

* * *

><p>"Tell me class, what do you think of the few demons you have encountered so far? Tell me what you have learnt... and do not worry. I won't punish your teacher for any level of honesty you provide."<p>

The class settled into hushed silence as a blonde-haired man skimmed around the room, his feet stepping along the wooden floor, eyes searching for answers. Izumo's history teacher hadn't arrived that day, and as she later learned, was moved to a different position down the hall. She hadn't seen the principal since news of his demotion.

To be honest, Izumo didn't want to be in class at all. If she had her way, she would be practicing her summoning and learning from the demons already under her care. She didn't have time to meet with them regularly, not only was she not skilled enough, but school was getting in the way. She knew she had to follow orders, though. The higher ups had given her the chance to speak...they had given her the chance to aid her friends; so when they told her to return to class like normal, Izumo couldn't refuse.

They must've had the impression that normalcy would somehow calm her down, force her into a routine and make her forget all about the traumatic experience she witnessed only weeks ago. Instead, however, it was merely making her feel even more anxious and worried. Each and every day she took a seat, her mind would stray to the other world where but an hour could have passed. She would scribble down ideas from her summoning textbook, refusing to acknowledge any other topics she was learning about; something quite unusual for one such as her. Izumo would watch the clock carefully, then rush back to her room to prepare or practice what she learnt.

Again, here she was, sitting in front of the strongest exorcist in the world... and she couldn't listen to a word he was saying. She couldn't think at all, her thoughts flooded only by the images of the past. Every now and then she would look around the classroom, watch the seats of old being filled by new. She didn't know how to react, but it felt as though she were the only one in the world who still remembered them. Remembered they were still alive, that is.

Izumo would sometimes wonder about Moriyama too, that girl who smiled so innocently and followed her around. It was almost like it irritated her that she had gone down and Izumo had stayed behind. She would rather have risked her own life than the life of that stupid girl! At least then she'd have a chance!

"Kamiki. Miss Kamiki!" Angel spoke harshly and Izumo woke up after hitting her head against the desk. Since when did she go to sleep? She felt like she was falling apart at the seams... she couldn't even remember.

"Tell me, Miss Kamiki. I hear you are top student of this class, no? Can you please explain what you were learning so far? I can't seem to gather the old teacher's notes."

"Ah, yes," Izumo flipped through her notebook, then turned to her most recent page–summoning tables and spells...what was the question again?

"I'm sorry, what–"

"Yes, that will do." Was his response, and Izumo flushed in embarrassment as he turned away from her and onto the next student.

* * *

><p>It was damp, wet; he stared at the underground walls as they walked. Yukio noticed the scratch marks of many hands and feet; this passageway had been dug out quite recently.<p>

The small demon was ahead, leading the way through the darkened tunnels. He was walking with a frail limp, but every now and then would run to find something in the soil. Yukio could tell he was a true scavenger; a bottle, a piece of glass, a stick were the most valuable things to him. As Yukio watched in fascination and disgust, he wondered whether they would have to do the same...

_To survive,_ he thought, _one must be willing. _That's what his father had said.

Shiemi stayed close to him while they walked along, Bon and Shima just behind. No one dared utter a word, the gloom ahead ever threatening with a sense of unease. It reminded Yukio of the darkness he had seen above, shifting and moving, that breathed of life itself. His mind sometimes wandered to the thoughts of a trap. That this tunnel was in fact leading to no where good; perhaps leading them onwards to death. But he vanished such ideas from his mind–it wouldn't do them any good to turn around now. The demon Kan, or so he was called, had informed them that demons generally come out during the day. At night, for fear and something else, they stayed well hidden. For some reason Kan himself didn't want to move during the night.

"It's dangerous. You don't even know what danger means until you see the night." He had said.

Yukio wondered how they had survived if that was truly the case, and what was possibly roaming around the streets that so many would fear.

"Yuki..." Shiemi called to him from his shoulder. She looked afraid for the first time. Yukio would have preferred her to not come along; just seeing her here in this hellish world was enough to make him physically sick. They could all die, it was true, but the last thing he wanted... was to see Shiemi get hurt. His intellectual side, however, reminded him that she had come down here because of Rin. Perhaps this is what she wanted.

"Let's stop here." Their demon guire voiced from a crossroad in the tunnel. He was far ahead of them, his little eyes gleaming and shining through the thick dust. Occasionally it was hard to breathe in the tunnels, but he had said it would be fine. For his species had made sure to dig holes to the top. Air could be let through in critical situations.

"We'll rest then," Yukio said quietly.

They needed it, and badly. It was evident by their sluggish manners, their slow walking and non-existent speech. Yukio could barely keep his eyes open. They needed to sleep, even if just for an hour.

With that said, the group gathered into a small circle once more, set down their few belongings, and tried to make the ground as comfortable as possible. Bon seemed irritated at his own tiredness, so went and set his backpack down as some sort of pillow. Shima was so tired that he just used his jacket and curled up on the floor. Shiemi looked over to Yukio, and then they both went and headed over to the wall. They leaned against the tunnel, and for a while, shut their eyes. Yukio, however, held the gun within his coat pocket. He knew how to sleep in emergencies. He had trained himself to allow for partial rest while staying highly alert. He thanked his father for such precious knowledge in times like these. Before he shut his eyes, Yukio took one last look at the demon. He was burrowing inside the dirt, on his knees, trying to find more items to use. Yukio took off his glasses, set them aside, then turned to let his breathing even out. Shiemi was already asleep beside him. He let himself become more aware of his surroundings as he gripped the gun, then put his mind to ease.

Kan, meanwhile, looked over to where the others lay. The humans were asleep. He got up, then moved further into the tunnel. From there, a light enclosed around him...and he disappeared.

* * *

><p>The basement floors were rented out specifically for this purpose, Igor Neuhaus thought while setting up the room, pushing the chairs and desks away to the side to make room for the larger circles. The potions laboratory downstairs would be utilized for them to practice summons as scheduled by the Order. Lighting, the apparent aid Arthur had sent for him, would be arriving any minute now. Igor was no fool to the situation. The moment Angel had said he needed a helper he knew he was not trusted. Not even after revealing the sword did Angel trust him completely. And perhaps, he thought reservedly, he was right.<p>

"So is this the place?" A voice came from the entrance.

He looked over to the pallid form of Izumo Kamiki. She wore her hair tied back in a bun, had all her materials ready, but by her darkened eyes and black circles, one could tell she hadn't slept for days.

"Just set up your things over there, Miss Kamiki" Igor ignored her for the most part as she walked inside, his attention focused solely on the door. He was anticipating Lightning with a kind of blank, yet nervous attitude. He was strong. Overly. Lightning had been a friend and companion of Arthur for many years; their trust was beyond bounds. Would Igor be noticed by this exceptionally skilled trainer?

"Excuse me" Izumo came over to him after ten minutes passed and asked him directly what he was waiting for. He turned, and shot her a withering look. Could this girl really learn just like his master had said?

"I am waiting for another guest. I am not your only teacher here," Igor explained with a sigh, "You now have–"

"Two, I'm afraid." The man by the name of Lightning strolled in through the door, his brown cap hiding most of his dark eyes. He gave Izumo a small cheeky grin, then walked over to Igor. He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Arthur sends his regards."

"I'm well aware."

"I'm Lightning, by the way." He introduced himself to the girl, then let loose his arm and headed over to the centre of the room. She followed behind him apprehensively. She hadn't seen him before in the school, he definitely wasn't a teacher she knew off hand. But still, Izumo could tell from all her experience and study...this man was strong. Perhaps he would be useful to her training.

"Before we begin..." Lightning took over the teaching aspect with a short glance towards Neuhaus, "I want to test your knowledge of demonic history. What are demons, exactly, if you'll remember from class?"

Izumo looked partly shocked at the sudden question, and also a bit unnerved at having to remember _that_ incident today. The Paladin, Angel, had taken over her classroom and forced her to recite something she didn't agree with. Was this man doing the same?

"_Miss Kamiki..." Arthur sat at the teacher's desk, folded his hands while looking seriously towards the girl, "could you please explain what 'are' demons, exactly as it is recorded in the first book of Exorcism?"_

_Izumo stood up, opened her book, her face red from anger. She knew he was doing this on purpose. _

_ "Demons are the pure embodiment of evil in our world." She read, "Demons represent all the hatred, sin of mankind, and therefore, manifest by such thoughts and actions." _

_ "Very good." Angel smiled coldly, and as Izumo returned to her seat, he went on, "And what do you think about that quote, Miss Kamiki? Is it true, honest, or–"_

_ "I think it's a lie, sir" Izumo hesitated for all but a brief moment. He was only here for one day and already testing her patience with his bold teaching methods. _

_ "Oh?" Arthur smiled behind his blonde, tied back hair, then asked for her to elaborate. _

_ "I don't believe all demons are bad...", Izumo went on in a flush of pink, to the startled giggles that burst all around her. Of course, the statement was negative to all that she had ever learned, all she ever knew about exorcism. And yet... Izumo could not think badly of her summons–she trusted them, even despite their mischievous nature. She also couldn't think badly of Rin. She still had trouble picturing him as anything but a idiot. _

Lightning prompted her for a response. Izumo shook off her previous nerve and answered in a tone of full confidence, repeating the words she had said not too long ago,

"I don't believe all demons are evil, sir."

"And?"

"And...and that they each have unique capabilities according to their strengths."

"Good." Izumo was shocked by his answer, her eyes going wide "It appears you did learn something."

"W-what?"

"Never mind," he answered while turning his attention to the floor, "That's the lesson for today."

* * *

><p>"You're here, Amaimon. You received my call?" Mephisto called out to him, his last and final meeting under way. Amaimon sent his tiny, shrunken goblin free from his hands and scurrying around the room.<p>

He didn't need a summoning circle to transport himself here, but still, Amaimon wished he didn't have to return to the human world...and on such short notice. It was boring, suffocating, and indeed, everything about it was immeasurable to the fun he could have on his own. He wasn't allowed to do anything here without causing a ruckus; his brother would make sure of it! Amaimon remembered Mephisto's warning to stay with father; he didn't really understand, so perhaps he'd explain now.

"Yes. What is it that you wanted?" Amaimon kept his voice even and cool. His green clothes highlighted even in the dark.

Mephisto looked to Amaimon who stood near the door. He knew this young brother of his would be completely loyal to him. Amaimon admired no one else in the family, he was often ignored and left to his own devices purely because he was young, naive; Mephisto would use this to his advantage; one pawn for the taking.

"Why must I stay with father?" Amaimon questioned openly, looking around for something to do, his hands digging deep inside his pockets, "Surely you don't mean to–"

"Yes, I do mean it, Amaimon." Mephisto Pheles briefed him with a short smile, "I have played here... for centuries in the human world; and I adored every minute of it. Yet no game exists... quite like the ones I have played with _him!_ Dangerous, frightening, exhilarating; a true masterpiece of both art and destruction!" Mephisto danced around the room as he spoke, his feet tingling on the floor from pure excitement.

"I have a favour to ask of you. Let's challenge that brain of yours to a test!"

He pointed his cane outwards and back, then drew words into the air which shined and glittered for a moment. He looked to his brother before starting again,

"Watch over our brother for me, and I'll give you a gift.".

Amaimon looked sullen out of his apprehensive face when he first arrived. He was biting his nails, still searching for something to chew; but when Mephisto mentioned this newest favour, he couldn't help but show his shocked eyes.

"Ah. I see. You want me to–"

"Take good care of him." Mephisto repeated sternly,

"And I will–"

"Not harm a hair on his head." He smiled. Mephisto's eyes burned as he pressurized the threat.

Amaimon stood watching the form of a shadow move in front of him, feeling the immense power seep from his older brother's words.

"You said a fight would be good."

"When he is ready. Wait a bit, Amaimon, and then we shall see... which of you is the strongest."

The strongest? The word surprised him and took him by doubt. Amaimon had seen his newest brother fight when he kicked him in the mud. Though he did have the flames...which intrigued him, and held him in captivation to what power he could possibly wield; Amaimon had seen that blue within blue, that flame of pure power, that fire which never ended and burned all except the holder. He had seen him gush forth the blaze when angry, heard the belated gasps as all realized he was the true heir of their father's power. Power that had not been passed down for quite some time. Jealousy was a vicious thing. Amaimon was not jealous...merely sceptical that he could even handle it.

"I also want you to do one more thing for me." Mephisto spoke, and Amaimon looked to a large chest hovering just above the centre of the room. It had a clock, and soft bunnies drawn around the sides.

"If you do this correctly... I shall give you..." And he opened the chest.

* * *

><p>Izumo sat on her bed after two hours training, arms hurting, eyes tearing from shame and defiance. She had failed. She had failed to defend herself <em>and <em>control a summon. It was the first time since... Izumo closed her eyes against the tears threatening to fall. Surely things were not going to be that easy...

_"Focus!"_ _Neuhaus hissed while Izumo tripped. She backed away into a far corner of the room. She couldn't believe that even despite all her extra study of summoning techniques, she was being pushed around like this!_

_ "He can sense your distrust." Lightning called from somewhere ahead of her. All she could do was look into the red eyes of a thing far greater than her, far taller and stronger; it had hands shaped like vines, and suddenly she didn't quite believe in her words anymore. _

_ A ripping sound could be heard as the demons disappeared, and Lightning smudged the circle beneath with his foot. _

_ "That's enough for today."_

_ "But what about–" She was hurt, embarrassed, and had wanted to aid her friends right away. If they ended now they would be–!_

_ "It appears you don't quite know what demons are yet. Make sure you know by tomorrow."_

* * *

><p>A boy of fifteen sat suddenly upright. He had black hair, and was wearing a light black coat. Meanwhile, a demon far below lay still. He laughed, seemingly sleeping, a smile opening on his tentative lips.<p>

"So he is awake."

Then he closed his eyes once more. Waiting for the daylight to end...tonight... he would begin.


End file.
